What happens if I click join audio on Zoom?
Zoom is a popular video conferencing platform that allows users to meet virtually through video, audio, and screen-sharing. One of the key features of Zoom is the ability to join meetings with audio enabled. When you join a Zoom meeting, you’ll see a “Join Audio” button that allows you to connect your microphone and speaker to the meeting.
Clicking the “Join Audio” button gives you access to the meeting’s audio so you can hear and be heard by other participants. It activates the microphone and speaker on your device so you can speak to and listen to others in the meeting. Without enabling audio, you would only be able to communicate via text chat. The “Join Audio” button makes it quick and easy to join the meeting’s audio with one click.
Enabling Audio
Clicking the “Join Audio” button in a Zoom meeting connects you to the meeting’s audio so you can hear and speak during the meeting. Joining the audio allows you to participate verbally in discussions, conversations, and presentations.
According to Zoom’s support article “Enabling audio type,” when you click “Join Audio,” you will be prompted to select either telephone audio or computer audio. Telephone audio allows you to call in to the Zoom meeting via phone. Computer audio uses your computer’s microphone and speakers.
Once you select the audio type, your microphone and/or speakers will be activated. Other participants will be able to hear you when you speak if you have a microphone enabled. You will also be able to hear other participants as well as any audio shared through the meeting.
Joining the audio upon entering a Zoom meeting is crucial for active participation. It enables two-way communication through speaking and listening during the meeting.
Microphone Access
When you first join a Zoom meeting, Zoom will ask to access your microphone. This permission is needed in order for Zoom to capture and transmit your voice during the meeting.
On desktop, you’ll see a popup asking for microphone access. On mobile, you’ll get an alert at the top of the screen requesting microphone access. You must allow this access in order to enable your microphone in Zoom.
If you accidentally rejected the initial request, you can enable microphone access in your device settings. On Windows 10, go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone and turn on microphone access for Zoom. On iOS, go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone and enable Zoom to access the microphone. On Android, go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Zoom > Permissions and allow Microphone access.
According to the Zoom support article “How to troubleshoot speaker or microphone issues”, “If Zoom fails to detect your microphone, unplug the device and plug it back in. If it’s a bluetooth device, ensure that it is turned on and connected properly.” [1]
Speaker Access
When you click Join Audio on Zoom, the app will ask to access your computer’s speakers. Allowing Zoom speaker access is necessary to hear audio from other participants in the meeting. You won’t be able to listen to anyone else without granting this permission.
Zoom needs access to your speakers so it can play the audio streams from other participants to you through your device’s audio output. This allows you to hear what others are saying during the meeting. Once you allow speaker access, Zoom will utilize your speakers to relay the audio from all meeting participants.
According to the Zoom Support page on Managing Zoom Sessions Speakers, “Access the Speakers tab in the Zoom Sessions event setup. To the right of the speaker you want to feature, click the ellipsis , then click Feature this Speaker to pin them to the main stage.” This highlights that granting speaker access is required for functions like featuring specific speakers during a Zoom event.
Telephone Audio
One option to join audio in a Zoom meeting is via telephone. This can be useful if your computer’s audio is not working properly. There are a couple ways to join Zoom meeting audio via phone:
You can have Zoom call your phone when you click “Join Audio” in the Zoom app. This allows you to hear the meeting audio through your phone’s speaker or headset. To enable this, go to the Zoom app audio settings and make sure “Call my phone” is checked. Then when you join a meeting, click “Join Audio” and Zoom will call the phone number linked to your Zoom account (source: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0061683).
Alternatively, you can manually dial in to the meeting using the provided phone number and meeting ID. Zoom will display the dial-in information when you join a meeting, or you can find it on the invitation. Once dialed-in, you’ll be prompted to enter the meeting ID number to connect your phone audio (source: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0060564).
Using telephone audio can provide a backup option if you’re having issues hearing the meeting on your computer. Just keep in mind telephone audio quality may not be as high fidelity as using computer audio.
Audio Settings
Zoom allows you to customize your audio input and output devices. To access the audio settings, click your profile picture then go to Settings > Audio. Here you can change your microphone, speakers or headphones used for Zoom meetings.
To change your microphone, click the Microphone drop-down and select the input device you want Zoom to use. This allows you to switch between different mics if you have multiple connected. You can also click “Test Mic” to check your microphone is working properly.
To change your speaker output, use the “Speaker” drop-down to select which speakers or headphones Zoom should use for audio output. Adjust the “Volume Slider” as needed to control the volume level.
The ability to customize both input and output devices gives you full control over your audio in Zoom. You can ensure high quality audio whether using built-in mic and speakers or external devices. See Zoom Support for more details on audio settings.
Audio Controls
Once you join the audio on Zoom, you have access to various audio controls to mute/unmute your microphone or adjust the speaker volume during the meeting.
The main audio control is the mute/unmute button which allows you to turn your microphone on or off. This appears in the lower-left corner of the Zoom window. Clicking it will toggle between muted and unmuted states. If you are muted, other participants won’t hear any audio from your end.
You can also find the mute option by clicking the ^ arrow next to the microphone icon and selecting “Mute/Unmute”. There are additional options here as well, including muting everyone except the host and pushing the *6 key on your phone during a Zoom Phone call to toggle mute.
If you want to speak during a meeting when someone else is speaking, you can use the “Raise Hand” feature. Click the “Reactions” icon in the Zoom toolbar and select “Raise Hand”. The host will be notified and can call on you to speak.
There are also options to turn your video on or off, start/stop screen sharing, change your display name, and other controls through the Zoom menus. So you have full control over your audio and video stream during a meeting if you join the computer or phone audio.
For more details on audio controls, see this Zoom guide: Participant controls in a meeting
Troubleshooting
If you are experiencing issues with audio quality or functionality when joining Zoom meetings, there are some steps you can take to troubleshoot:
Common audio problems on Zoom include echoing, distortions, interruptions, and issues hearing other participants. This is often caused by microphone or speaker problems. First, check your audio settings in Zoom and make sure you have the correct microphone selected. Also try adjusting your microphone volume up or down. Echoes are frequently caused by the system picking up output audio from speakers and routing it back into the microphone input. Using headphones instead of speakers can prevent this feedback loop.
Low audio quality or interruptions in Zoom are sometimes due to internet bandwidth issues. Try turning off your video to allocate more bandwidth to audio. Restarting your device and router may also help resolve temporary connection problems. If you are experiencing significant lag or delays in audio, switching from VoIP to dial-in audio may provide better quality.
On mobile devices, granting Zoom access to the microphone and enabling Bluetooth can improve audio performance. If audio is not working at all, force quit and relaunch the Zoom app. As a last resort, uninstall and reinstall Zoom to completely reset the configuration. Checking for Zoom updates and upgrading to the latest release may also resolve bugs causing audio problems.
If you have tried general troubleshooting without success, you can contact Zoom support or your device manufacturer for further assistance diagnosing and resolving persistent audio issues.
Audio Quality Tips
There are several ways to optimize your audio quality on Zoom:
Use a Headset or Microphone
Using a headset or external microphone can significantly improve audio quality compared to built-in laptop microphones. Headsets with noise-cancelling microphones block out background noise. Make sure your microphone is positioned properly near your mouth.
Examples of recommended headsets: Logitech H390, Jabra Evolve2 65
Adjust Your Settings
In your Zoom audio settings, enable high fidelity music mode, which boosts the audio sample rate. You can also adjust the microphone volume if needed. Test your speaker and microphone in the Zoom audio settings to optimize levels.
Reference: Improve Audio Quality in Zoom – IT Help
Choose a Quiet Environment
Background noise will reduce your audio quality. Choose a quiet room without echo or reverb. Turn off any music, fans, or other distracting sounds. Use noise-cancelling headphones or enable noise suppression in Zoom settings.
Reference: How to Improve Your Audio Quality on Zoom
Conclusion
Joining audio is an essential part of the Zoom experience, as it allows you to hear and be heard during meetings and webinars. When you click “Join Audio” in a Zoom session, you are enabling your microphone and speakers to connect to the meeting. This gives you access to two-way communication.
Specifically, clicking “Join Audio” prompts Zoom to access your computer’s microphone to transmit your voice to others in the meeting. It also accesses your speakers or headset so you can hear the other participants. You can join by computer audio or by dialing in via phone.
By default, Zoom will automatically connect your microphone and speakers. You can control the audio settings like microphone volume, speaker volume, and testing your devices in the Zoom settings. During a meeting, you use the audio controls in the Zoom toolbar to mute/unmute and change other options.
With some basic troubleshooting, you can resolve most common audio issues in Zoom. And following audio best practices, like using a headset and quiet environment, can optimize the audio quality.
In summary, joining audio is what makes Zoom meetings interactive. It enables real-time communication by activating your microphone and speakers through Zoom’s audio controls.
