There is no requirement for participants to join a Zoom meeting anonymously, though it may be preferable for some participants if the information is restricted from sharing. In some circumstances, this may also pertain to the personal privacy of individuals when attending public events, or when attending meetings for groups associated with things like Alcoholic’s Anonymous or mental health support groups.

How to hide your Zoom video

It is important to disable your video when joining a Zoom meeting since the video is one of the best ways for ensuring privacy when you are joining the meeting.

 

How to Disable video before joining a Zoom meeting

Upon joining a meeting, participants have the ability to set the default video state that will be used when joining the meeting through the Zoom client settings. You are able to disable the camera when joining a Zoom meeting if you would prefer not to see your camera when joining a Zoom meeting.

Note:

You can also enable the video preview dialog box feature when joining a meeting to choose whether your video is on or off.

How to Disable video when joining a meeting

Windows | macOS | Linux

1. Launch the Zoom desktop client.
2. Click the Join Meeting button.
3. You will be required to enter the meeting ID.
4. Enter the name you would like the meeting to display.
5. Tick the box to turn off the video.
6. Then click Join.

Using Virtual Backgrounds for added privacy

Using a virtual background can be a great way to conceal your surroundings if you have sensitive information on your computer, or if you wish to minimize your surroundings in general.

 

How to join Zoom Meeting with a guest name

Set your name before joining a meeting

It is imperative that you create a Zoom account and then set your display name in your profile if you have not yet joined a Zoom meeting, otherwise you may need to join a test meeting and set your name when joining that test meeting. There is no problem if you want to join a Zoom meeting with another name if you need to do this.

How to Set your name when joining the Meeting

Windows | macOS | Linux

1. Launch Zoom.
2. Click to join.
3. Enter the meeting ID number.
4. Type in your name to appear in the meeting.
5. Choose the option for future meetings to remember my name.
6. You will be asked to join the meeting.

Android | iOS

1. Install Zoom on your mobile device.
2. Simply tap the Join Meeting button.
3. You’ll need the meeting’s ID number.
4. Type your name as you wish to appear in the meeting.
5. Press Join.

Web client

Rename yourself during a meeting

While in a meeting, you can change your display name while in a meeting, giving you the opportunity to have a different display name than when you joined the meeting.