Managing the duration of meetings and webinars in Zoom is crucial for effective time allocation and ensuring that sessions don’t overrun their scheduled times. Zoom offers helpful features to display timers, aiding in keeping track of the elapsed time since the meeting started and the time remaining. These features include the Meeting Duration timer and the time remaining timer.

For Zoom users, particularly educators conducting classes, being able to track the duration of a meeting is crucial. Knowing how long a lecture or conference has been ongoing helps in maintaining the schedule effectively. While Zoom doesn’t display the meeting duration by default, enabling this feature can significantly aid in time management.

Let’s explore how to activate the meeting duration display in Zoom and discover additional tips for managing your Zoom meetings.

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Enabling Zoom Meeting Duration in Desktop App

Zoom, by default, does not show how long a meeting has lasted. If you need to keep an eye on the clock, there’s a straightforward way to get this feature up and running in the app itself. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Accessing Zoom Settings:
   • Open the Zoom application on your Windows or Mac computer.
   • Click on your profile icon, located in the top right corner.
   • Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
2. Activating Meeting Duration:
   • In Settings, navigate to the General tab.
   • Look for the option labeled ‘Show my meeting duration’.
   • Enable this feature to start seeing how long your meetings are.

Zoom’s meeting duration feature is a valuable tool for hosts and participants to keep track of the time spent in a meeting. This feature, once enabled, appears in the upper right corner of the Zoom interface during a session. It’s important to understand the visibility and functionality of this feature to make the most out of your Zoom meetings.

Visibility of Zoom Meeting Duration

1. For Your Eyes Only:
   • The meeting duration display is exclusive to your view. As a host or participant who has enabled this feature, you’ll be able to see the elapsed time of the meeting.
   • Other users in the same Zoom session will not see the meeting duration on their screens unless they have also enabled this feature individually.
2. Informing Others:
   • Since this is a user-specific setting, you might find it helpful to inform other participants about it. Sharing how to enable this feature can help everyone in the meeting manage their time more effectively.

How to Enable Zoom Meeting Duration on  Apps

Zoom’s mobile app, with its cross-platform availability, is a popular choice for users who don’t always have access to a desktop. Whether you’re using an Android or iOS device, the process for enabling the meeting duration feature is straightforward and similar across both platforms. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you set up this feature, enhancing your Zoom mobile experience.

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Enabling Meeting Duration in Zoom on iPhone or Android

1. Open Zoom App:
   • Start by opening the Zoom app on your iPhone or Android device.
2. Access Settings:
   • Tap on the Settings icon located in the bottom tab.
3. Navigate to Meeting Settings.
   • In the Settings menu, select Meeting.
   • Scroll down to the bottom of the meeting menu.
4. Activate Connected Time Display:
   • Find and enable the Show My Connected Time option. This will allow the app to display the elapsed time since you joined the meeting.

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Using the Feature in Meetings

• Visibility in Meetings: Once activated, join or host a Zoom meeting. You’ll notice the meeting duration displayed in the upper-right corner of your screen.
• Beneficial for Basic Plan Users: This feature is particularly useful for users on Zoom’s Basic plan, which offers free services including hosting up to 99 members for up to 40 minutes.

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Advantages of Zoom’s Mobile App

• Cross-Platform Functionality: Zoom’s mobile app works seamlessly on both Android and iOS, offering a consistent and user-friendly interface.
• Convenience: The mobile app allows users to participate in meetings on the go, making it ideal for those without constant access to a desktop.

Keeping Zoom Meeting Controls Visible

During a Zoom meeting, the default setting causes meeting controls to auto-hide, which can be inconvenient when you need quick access to essential features like screen sharing, muting, reactions, and more. Fortunately, Zoom provides an option to keep these controls always visible. Here’s how you can adjust this setting on the desktop app, ensuring smoother access to these functions during your meetings.

Steps to Unhide Meeting Controls in Zoom on Desktop

1. Open the Zoom Desktop App:
   • Start by launching the Zoom app on your computer.
2. Access Settings:
   • Click on your profile menu at the top right corner.
   • Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
3. Navigate to General Settings.
   • In the Settings window, go to the General tab.
4. Enable constant visibility of controls:
   • Look for the option ‘Always show the meeting controls’ and enable it.

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Result of Adjusting the Setting

• Fixed Meeting Controls: With this setting enabled, the meeting controls will remain visible throughout the Zoom session, allowing for easier and quicker access to various features.

Additional Tip: Zoom Keyboard Shortcuts

• Efficient Control Access: For even quicker access to Zoom functions, consider mastering Zoom keyboard shortcuts. These can be a game-changer for efficiency during video calls.

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Meeting Controls on Mobile App

• While you can also adjust meeting control visibility on the mobile app, it’s generally not recommended due to the limited screen space on mobile devices. Keeping the controls auto-hidden can help maximize the visible area during a meeting.