Installing and signing in to Zoom: computer, phone, browser and the corporate account
Installation on Windows, macOS, Linux and a phone, joining by link without installing, registering a host, single sign-on, first settings and typical errors.
In short
A meeting participant does not have to install anything: the link opens in a browser. The app is needed by the host and by those who use Zoom every day: it has everything, including local recording and virtual backgrounds. It installs in two minutes: zoom.us/download, an installer for Windows, macOS or Linux, the app from the App Store or Google Play for a phone.
Only the host needs an account. It is registered on zoom.us with a work email, and in a company with a corporate account an employee does not register on their own but signs in through the company's domain or single sign-on. How that works is below.
Do you need to install Zoom at all
| Who you are | What you need |
|---|---|
| A participant joining by link once | Nothing: the "Join from your browser" button on the meeting page |
| A participant with regular meetings | The app: better quality, breakout rooms, reactions, virtual background |
| A host | The app and a Zoom account |
| An employee of a company with corporate Zoom | The app and sign-in through the company domain; your account already exists |
| A meeting room | A separate Zoom Rooms system, installed by IT |
The browser version works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari. It has no local recording, some functions are cut down, and picture and sound are usually worse. It is enough for a one-off, but for work you need the app.
Installing on a computer
Download the installer
from zoom.us/download. The first button, "Zoom Workplace", is the meetings app. Download only from there: copies on third-party sites sometimes come with someone else's additions.
Windows
Run ZoomInstaller.exe; the installation runs without questions. Administrator rights are usually not required; if the company has locked them, ask IT to install the MSI package.
macOS
Open the downloaded .pkg and go through the installer. At the first launch the system will ask for permissions for the camera, microphone and screen recording: grant all three in "System Settings → Privacy & Security", otherwise screen sharing will not work.
Linux
On the same download page choose the distribution: a .deb package for Ubuntu and Debian, .rpm for Fedora, openSUSE and Oracle Linux, plus Arch and a universal package. The Linux app is fully featured: meetings, screen sharing, recording, rooms, the same interface as on Windows and macOS.
Launch the app
Before signing in there is only the "Join a meeting" button: that is enough for a participant. A host needs "Sign in".
Installing on a phone and tablet
The "Zoom Workplace" app in the App Store for iPhone and iPad and in Google Play for Android. After installing, the phone will ask for permissions for the camera, microphone and notifications. A participant joins by link, and the app opens by itself. A host signs in to the account and can start and schedule meetings from the phone, while recording from a phone goes only to the cloud.
If Google Play is unavailable on the phone, the Android installation file is on the same zoom.us/download page, section "Zoom for Android".
Registering an account: hosts only
A participant needs no account: they join by link. An account is needed by whoever gathers meetings.
Open zoom.us/signup, enter your date of birth and work email.
Receive an email with a code or an activation link; if it ha
Receive an email with a code or an activation link; if it has not arrived in ten minutes, check "Spam".
Enter your name and a password. Inviting colleagues can be skipped.
Sign in to the app with that email and password.
A free account gives meetings up to 40 minutes with three or more participants; the other limits are covered separately. Register with a work email, not a personal one: when the company sets up a corporate account, your personal one on the same domain will be pulled into it, and your meetings will not be lost.
Signing in to a corporate account
In a company that has bought Zoom, employees do not register on their own. The administrator creates users or switches on a managed domain, and then there are three ways to sign in.
The administrator added you to the account, you received an invitation email, you set a password. That is how the Pro and Business plans work without single sign-on.
The "Sign in with SSO" button in the app, the company's account address of the form `company.zoom.us`, then sign-in through the corporate account, as for email or other systems. You have no Zoom password at all. Available on Business and above; how it works is on the Identity Management page.
If the company allows it, sign in with the "Sign in with Google" button using the work email.
If you do not know which way applies to you, ask IT or simply click "Sign in with SSO" and enter the company domain: the app itself will say whether it is set up.
First settings: five minutes that save an hour
The gear in the top right corner of the app opens the settings. Before the first meeting go through four sections.
Choose the microphone and speakers and click "Test". If you have a headset, choose it in both places; that way there will be no echo. Leave automatic volume adjustment on.
Choose the camera, switch on HD, look at yourself: the light should fall on your face, not into the camera from a window behind you. What else improves picture and sound is in the guide on audio, video and background.
Blur or a virtual background if what is behind you is not what you want to show a customer.
"Mute my microphone when joining" and "Turn off my video when joining" save you from awkward first seconds.
You can check everything at once with a test meeting: zoom.us/test opens a meeting with no participants where you see and hear yourself.
How to join a meeting
An email or message with a link of the form `zoom.us/j/…`: open it, and the browser will offer to launch the app or join from the browser.
In the app, "Join a meeting", enter the 9–11 digit number and, if asked, the passcode. That is how you join from a meeting room and when the link will not open.
If Zoom is connected to the calendar, the meeting appears in the app on the "Meetings" tab with a "Join" button.
If the host has switched on the waiting room, you will see "Please wait, the host will let you in soon". That is not an error.
When joining, enter your real first and last name: the host of an external meeting admits people by list, and no one will recognise "iPhone (2)" in that list.
How to create your first meeting
The app has two buttons. "New meeting" starts a meeting right now; you copy the link with the "Invite" button. "Schedule" opens a form: title, date, time, ID (better "generate automatically", not the personal one), passcode, waiting room, the calendar to put the invitation in. All the fields of the form are covered in the scheduling guide, and how to protect a meeting from intruders in the guide on participants and security.
Updates: why Zoom "does not work"
The Zoom app updates often, and an old version is the first cause of every complaint: "cannot connect", "no sound", "server unavailable". Zoom stops admitting versions older than nine months to meetings, and some functions require a fresh version for all participants.
To check: the avatar in the top right corner → "Check for updates". In a company the versions on all computers are controlled by IT through device policies and mass deployment, so that updating does not depend on each employee.
Typical problems when installing and signing in
| What happens | Cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "Your version is out of date" or the meeting will not open | Old app | Update or reinstall from zoom.us/download |
| No camera or microphone on macOS | Permissions not granted | System Settings → Privacy: camera, microphone, screen recording |
| Others cannot hear you | Wrong microphone chosen, or microphone muted | Arrow next to the "Audio" button → choose the device; the "Unmute" button |
| Echo | Microphone and speakers far apart, or two devices in one room | A headset; in one room only one participant has audio on |
| "Invalid meeting ID" | A typo in the digits, or the meeting has not started yet | Check the link; wait for the host |
| SSO sign-in fails | Wrong domain, or SSO not set up | Ask IT for the `company.zoom.us` address |
| The meeting "freezes" | The network, not Zoom | Wired internet, switch off the VPN, close extra tabs |
| No activation email | Spam or a corporate filter | Check "Spam"; ask IT to allow emails from zoom.us |
Nothing in the list is related to Russia: Zoom works here without a VPN, and a VPN that is switched on hinders more often than it helps.
If you work from home
A few rules that replace half of tech support.
A wireless network is the first cause of "freezing". If there is no cable, at least sit closer to the router.
A microphone at your mouth and headphones remove echo and half of the background noise. A Bluetooth headset is fine if it does not run out of charge mid-meeting.
A window behind you turns you into a silhouette. A lamp in front of your face is cheaper than any camera.
if there is a kitchen behind you.
The space bar in Zoom works like a walkie-talkie: hold it to speak.
Installation in a company: what IT does
When there are five hundred employees rather than five, the app is not installed by hand. For Windows there is an MSI package and group policies, for macOS a package for device management systems; settings are set centrally: automatic updates, single sign-on, a ban on personal accounts on the work email, the company's virtual background. This is described on the Mass Deployment and GPO/MSI Policies pages. During rollout we set this up together with your IT department, and employees only have to click "Sign in".
Frequently asked questions
How do I download Zoom to a computer?
From zoom.us/download: the "Zoom Workplace" button, an installer for Windows, macOS or Linux. Do not download from third-party sites.
Do I need to install Zoom to join a meeting?
No. The meeting page has "Join from your browser". The app gives better quality and all the functions.
Is Zoom free?
The app is free. So is the account, with limits: meetings up to 40 minutes with three or more participants. Paid plans lift the limits.
Is there Zoom for Linux?
Yes, a fully featured app: .deb, .rpm and other packages on the download page.
How do I sign in to Zoom through a corporate account?
The "Sign in with SSO" button, an address of the form `company.zoom.us`, then sign-in with the corporate account. If there is no SSO, the email and password from the administrator's invitation email.
How do I join Zoom by ID?
"Join a meeting" in the app, the 9–11 digit number, the passcode if asked.
Why does Zoom say the version is out of date?
The app has not been updated. Avatar → "Check for updates", or reinstall.
Does Zoom work in Russia and is a VPN needed?
It works, and no VPN is needed. Only payment with a Russian bank card does not go through; details on the page Zoom in Russia in 2026.
How do I check the camera and audio before a meeting?
The test meeting zoom.us/test, or the app settings: "Audio → Test", "Video".
Try Zoom today
We'll give you a remote demo Monday to Friday, 10:00–16:00 Moscow time, answer all your questions and provide trial access so you can explore the system yourself.
Please note: we work with legal entities only.
