Can I use Zoom without a camera

Do Zoom need a webcam? It is very popular question from users, who plans to install Zoom on a computer or mobile device. We will explain how it works.

Details

First of all, we should explain, that using webcam or microphone is not necessary for online meetings. User may join conference without any additional devices. Of course, communicating is much more convenient, when participants can see and hear each other. But we will repeat, that it is not necessary.

Zoom meeting contains text chat. But this is not the only option for communication. Raise Hand and Screen Sharing features also can help user, who don’t have a camera or don’t want to enable it and show yourself. Let’s analyze them in more detail.

Raise hand

This is a very useful feature added by the Zoom developers for interaction between meeting participants when someone is muted. The user invokes the Raise Hand gesture, which is visible to the organizer, for example, to draw attention to himself, ask a question, ask for an answer, etc.

We explain this function in more detail in a separate article. We recommend you explore it for better communication.

Screen demonstration

By analogy with Skype, Discord, and other programs, a Zoom user without a camera can display a picture from his computer or laptop, for example, a separate window or the entire screen. This feature will be useful for making presentations, showing various information, etc.

The function is activated as follows:

1. Open the program and connect to the desired conference.
2. Click on the «Screen Sharing» button on the bottom control panel.
3. Select the desired window for display.
4. Optionally, turn on the audio by checking the «Share sound» option.
5. Now click on the «Share» button.

This option is convenient for showing a presentation while conducting studying lessons. In this case, a webcam is not required, but the accompanying information and explanations from the presenter will be very useful.

Ending

Zoom does not need to use a webcam. It will be useful in some cases, but not required. For organizing a conference or seminar, just a microphone is enough for the participants to hear you. And auxiliary functions will make communication even more convenient.