Scheduling meetings

Zoom offers multiple methods to schedule a meeting. A host has control over the options for their scheduled meetings, except for settings that an administrator has locked for all users in the account or for all members of a specific group.

After scheduling a meeting, learn how to invite others to the meeting or share your personal Zoom link for meetings with others.

Requirements for scheduling meetings

Table of Contents

How to schedule a meeting

Windows | macOS | Linux

On the Zoom desktop app, you can easily schedule a meeting from the Home  tab or on the Calendar  or Meetings  tab. Your setup depends on whether you have the calendar and contacts integration enabled or disabled. The calendar and contacts integration syncs with your existing calendar service (Zoom Calendar, Google, Office 365, or Exchange) to show the meetings in Zoom. 

Calendar and contacts integration enabled

If you have synced your third-party calendar service with Zoom, follow the steps below to schedule a meeting.

Schedule from the Home tab

  1. Sign in to the Zoom desktop app.
  2. At the top of the app, click the Home tab .
  3. Click Schedule .
    This will open the New event window.
  4. Enter a topic or name for your meeting.
  5. Set the date and time you want to meet.
  6. (Optional) Add invitees by entering their name, email, or phone number. You can also invite others to your meeting after scheduling.
  7. (Optional) Click Settings to choose from additional meeting options.
  8. Click Save to finish scheduling.

Schedule from the Calendar tab

  1. Sign in to the Zoom desktop app.
  2. At the top of the app, click the Calendar tab .
  3. Select a time slot on the calendar view, or in the top-left corner, click the add icon then click Create event.
    This will open the New event window.
  4. Set the date and time you want to meet.
  5. (Optional) Add invitees by entering their name, email, or phone number. You can also invite others to your meeting after scheduling.
  6. (Optional) Click Settings to choose from additional meeting options.
  7. Click Save to finish scheduling.

Calendar and contacts integration disabled

If you do not have a third-party calendar service synced with Zoom, follow the steps below to schedule a meeting.

Schedule from the Home tab

  1. Sign in to the Zoom desktop app.
  2. At the top of the app, click the Home tab .
  3. Click Schedule .
    This will open the New event window.
  4. Enter a topic or name for your meeting.
  5. Set the date and time you want to meet.
  6. (Optional) Add attendees by entering their name, email, or phone number. You can also invite others to your meeting after scheduling.
  7. Choose from the available meeting options such as meeting ID, meeting security, video and audio, and more.
  8. (Optional) Click Advanced to enable or disable additional options.
  9. Click Save to finish scheduling.

Schedule from the Meetings tab

  1. Sign in to the Zoom desktop app.
  2. At the top of the app, click the Meetings tab .
  3. In the top-left corner, click the add icon  then click Create event.
    This will open the New event window.
  4. Set the date and time you want to meet.
  5. (Optional) Add attendees by entering their name, email, or phone number. You can also invite others to your meeting after scheduling.
  6. Choose from the available meeting options such as meeting ID, meeting security, video and audio, and more.
  7. (Optional) Click Advanced to enable or disable additional options.
  8. Click Save to finish scheduling.
Android | iOS
  1. Sign in to the Zoom mobile app.
  2. At the bottom of the app, tap the Meetings tab .
  3. Tap Schedule .
  4. Enter a topic or name for your meeting.
  5. Set the date and time you want to meet.
  6. Select the meeting options.
  7. Tap Save to finish scheduling.
Web portal
  1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
  2. In the navigation menu, click Meetings then Schedule a Meeting.
  3. Enter a topic or name for your meeting.
  4. Set the date and time you want to meet.
  5. (Optional) Add attendees by entering their name, email, or phone number. You can also invite others to your meeting after scheduling.
  6. Select the meeting options.
  7. Click Save to finish scheduling.
Zoom Web App
  1. Open the Zoom Web App.
  2. On the Home tab, click Schedule.
    You will be redirected to the Zoom web portal to schedule the meeting.
  3. Enter a topic or name for your meeting.
  4. Set the date and time you want to meet.
  5. (Optional) Add attendees by entering their name, email, or phone number. You can also invite others to your meeting after scheduling.
  6. Select the meeting options.
  7. Click Save to finish scheduling.
Plugins and extensions

For instructions on scheduling using our plugins and extensions, see:

Available options when scheduling a Zoom meeting

The following table lists additional settings available when scheduling a meeting in the Zoom Workplace desktop app, mobile app, or in the Zoom web portal. Some of these options might not be available if they were disabled and locked to the off position at the account or group level in the Zoom web portal.

 
Meeting optionDescriptionPlatforms
Registration
Registration RequiredSelect this check box to set up registration for your meeting, which requires registrants to provide their email and name to register for the event.Web portal
Meeting ID
Generate Automatically or Personal Meeting ID

Generate a random, unique meeting ID or use your Personal Meeting ID (PMI).

Notes: 

  • On the mobile app, the meeting ID is generated automatically by default, but you can tap the Use personal meeting ID toggle to switch it to your PMI.
  • If you schedule a meeting with your Personal Meeting ID and use a custom topic name, that custom topic name will not be reflected in reporting.

Windows

macOS

Linux

iOS

Android

Web portal

Template
Choose from personal or account templatesApply a meeting template.

Windows or macOS (with the calendar and contacts integration enabled)

Web portal

Whiteboard
Add a whiteboard that will be automatically available to meeting inviteesWhiteboard access is granted to invitees after the event is scheduled. Removing invitees won’t revoke their whiteboard access.

Web portal

Meeting Security (desktop) or Security (web portal/mobile)
Passcode

Enter a meeting passcode. Joining participants will be required to input this before joining your scheduled meeting.

Note: The meeting passcode must meet complexity requirements set by your admin.

Windows

macOS

Linux

iOS

Android

Web portal

Waiting roomSend participants to the Waiting Room before you admit them into the scheduled meeting.

Windows

macOS

Linux

iOS

Android

Web portal

Only authenticated users can join (desktop)


Require authentication to join

Restrict access to the meeting so that only signed-in users can join.

Note: If you select Sign in to Zoom with the specific domain, you can’t add any domains that are included on the domain block list.

Windows

macOS

Linux

iOS

Android

Web portal

Encryption
Enhanced encryption or End-to-end encryption

Choose between the standard Enhanced encryption (encryption keys stored in the cloud) and End-to-end encryption (encryption keys stored on your local device) for your meeting.

Note: Use of end-to-end encryption disables some features from being used.

Windows

macOS

Linux

iOS

Android

Web portal

AI Companion

Automatically start AI Companion

  • Automatically start meeting questions
  • Automatically start meeting summary
Choose to automatically start AI Companion meeting questions or meeting summary features when the Zoom meeting begins. If you don’t enable these options when scheduling, you can still start AI Companion during the meeting.

Windows

macOS

Linux

iOS

Android

Web portal

Meeting chat
Enable Continuous Meeting ChatAllows meeting participants to communicate before, during, and after a meeting by creating a dedicated group chat in Zoom Team Chat for all meeting participants.

Windows

macOS

Linux

iOS

Android

Web portal

Video
HostChoose if you would like the host’s video on or off when joining a meeting. Even if you choose off, the host will have the option to start their video.

Windows

macOS

Linux

iOS

Android

Web portal

ParticipantChoose if you would like the participants’ video on or off when joining the meeting. Even if you choose off, the participants will have the option to start their video.

Windows

macOS

Linux

iOS

Android

Web portal

Audio

Telephone

Computer Audio

Both

3rd Party Audio

Allow users to call in using Telephone, Computer Audio, Both, or 3rd Party Audio (if enabled for your account).

Windows

macOS

Linux

iOS

Android

Web portal

Advanced (Desktop/mobile) or Options (Web portal)
Allow participants to join anytime

Allow participants to join the meeting without you or before you join. If enabled, you can also choose how far in advance of the scheduled start time you want them to be able to join: 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, or Anytime.

Note: The meeting will end after 40-minutes for Basic (free) users.

Windows

macOS

Linux

Web portal

Allow participant to join before host

Allow participants to join your meeting before you.

iOS

Android

Q&A

Allow participants to ask questions during the meeting, and for the host and co-hosts to answer their questions.

Windows

macOS

Linux

iOS

Android

Web portal

Mute participants upon entry

If join before host is not enabled, this will mute participants as they join the meeting. Participants can unmute themselves after joining the meeting.

Note: To mute all participants currently in a meeting, see the options to manage participants.

Windows

macOS

Linux

Web portal

Add audio watermark that identifies the participants

Superimpose an inaudible watermark of a user’s personal information embedded in the audio that is played through the receiving user’s speakers by the client receiving audio from Zoom meeting servers.

Web portal

Breakout Room pre-assign

Pre-assign participants to breakout rooms.

Web portal

Automatically record meetingSelect if you want to record the meeting locally (to your computer) or in the cloud.

Windows

macOS

Linux

iOS

Android

Web portal

Show in Public Event ListAdd the meeting to a public calendar associated with your vanity URL.

Windows

macOS

Linux

iOS

Android

Enable focus mode when meeting startsAutomatically start the meeting with focus mode enabled, in order to provide fewer distractions to all meeting participants.

Web portal

Enable additional data center regions for this meeting

Allow users from specific regions to join your meetings; or block users from specific regions from joining your meetings. Users' region/country is determined by their IP address.
Note: You change the default regions/countries in your web portal settings.

Windows

macOS

Linux

iOS

Android

Web portal

Alternative hosts

Enter the email address of another Licensed Zoom user on your account to allow them to start the meeting in your absence. If enabled, you can also select the check box to Allow alternative hosts to add or edit polls.

Windows

macOS

Linux

iOS

Android

Web portal

Interpretation
Select language interpretation (audio channels)

Enable language interpretation (audio) for the meeting.

Windows

macOS

Linux

iOS

Android

Web portal

Select sign language interpretation (video channels)

Enable sign language interpretation (video) for the meeting.

Web portal

Notes:

lightbulb tip icon
Set up, learn, and use Zoom Meetings. Get started with Zoom's virtual meeting platform using our onboarding support experience.
Get Started