How to mute a Zoom meeting

Carly

One of the great things about Zoom is you can take charge of your audio settings. A key feature is being able to mute yourself before the meeting starts. This simple move stops any surprise background noise or interruptions right in their tracks.

In this guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about muting on Zoom, from when to do it to troubleshooting common issues.

When to mute yourself on Zoom

So, when should you mute yourself on Zoom? Here are some general guidelines:

During Presentations: If someone's giving a presentation, it's a good idea to mute yourself to avoid distractions.
Background Noise: If you have any background noise in your environment, like traffic or people talking, it's a good idea to mute yourself. This helps keep the call running smoothly without any interruptions.
While Eating or Stepping Away: If you need to grab a snack or step away from your computer during the call, it's a good idea to mute yourself to avoid any unintentional noise.
Recording: If the meeting is being recorded, make sure to mute yourself. This way, any background noise or side chats won't need to be edited out of the recording.

How to mute Zoom meetings on desktop

Muting yourself on Zoom is easy, whether you're using a PC or a Mac. Move your cursor over the Zoom window to reveal the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. Find the microphone icon labeled Mute and click it once.

Click it again to Unmute.

You can also use keyboard shortcuts for even faster muting:

PC: Press Alt+A to toggle mute on and off.
Mac: Press Command+Shift+A to toggle mute on and off.

How to mute Zoom meetings on mobile

Tap your screen lightly to bring up the meeting controls. Find the Mute button with the microphone icon and tap it to mute yourself.

How to mute Zoom on a PC

To mute yourself during a Zoom meeting on a PC, simply press the Alt key and the A key simultaneously. This shortcut will toggle your microphone on and off, muting and unmuting your audio as needed.

How to mute Zoom on a Mac

If you're using Zoom on a Mac, muting yourself is just as easy. Press the Command key, the Shift key, and the A key simultaneously. This shortcut functions similarly to the PC shortcut, allowing you to mute and unmute your microphone with a single key combination.

How to mute yourself before a Zoom meeting

Click the Profile icon at the top right-hand corner of your screen, and hit Settings.

Check the option to Mute my microphone when joining a meeting.

You can also choose to enable Press and hold 'Space Key' to temporarily unmute if you need to.

How hosts can mute a Zoom meeting

If you're the host of a Zoom meeting, you can choose to mute participants. There are a few ways to go about it.

Mute participants during a Zoom meeting

Hover your cursor over the Zoom window to reveal the toolbar. Click on Participants from the toolbar to open the participant list.

You have the option to quiet down specific participants to handle any distracting background noise or interruptions.

Or, you can meet everyone in the meeting by clicking the Mute All button at the bottom of the participant list. You can choose whether to allow participants to unmute themselves or not.

Mute participants before a Zoom meeting

If you’re setting up a meeting, you can choose to mute all participants from the get-go. Simply hit Advanced Settings in the Schedule Meeting window.

Just select Mute participants upon entry to ensure everyone joining the meeting starts off muted.

Here's a video walkthrough 👇

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you're having trouble muting yourself or others on Zoom, here are some common issues and how to fix them:

Echoing Audio: Use headphones to prevent echoing caused by your microphone picking up sounds from your speakers.
Computer Audio: Check your computer's audio settings to make sure your microphone and speakers are configured correctly.
Output Volume: Adjust the volume settings in the Zoom app to make sure you can hear and be heard clearly.
Bluetooth Interference: If you're using Bluetooth headphones or speakers, make sure they're connected properly and not causing interference.
Other User’s Microphone: If you can't hear someone else on the call, they may need to check their microphone settings or adjust their volume.
Update Zoom: Make sure you're using the latest version of the Zoom app to avoid any bugs or compatibility issues.