What a difference a year makes.
Zoom has become a cornerstone in many people’s daily lives. It was in the right place at the tight time, and was the easiest tool for video collaboration at the time, and it took off.
But that growth means teething troubles. Zoom has had to deal with a broad range of issues as it became mainstream, from privacy to security.
The company has done a good job or rising to the challenges that came its way thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Zoom still has a number of rough edges. It feels a bit like Google Chrome — something many of us use, but a lot of us have a love/hate relationship with.
It’s good, but with a little care and feeding, can be better.
Having been using Zoom almost daily for the past year, I’ve come up with a short list of three things that I do to make my Zoom experience better.
Reboot daily
If I’m using Zoom on a Windows or Mac, I find that it’s best to reboot after I’m done. Doing this dramatically improves performance and stability.
I’m not sure if it’s memory leaks or what, but it’s effect on a system doesn’t seem to end with closing the application.
Having Zoom and Google Chrome on the same system can be interesting.
Update regularly
Zoom is constantly changing. Every week I notice that something has moved, or a feature has changed.
This can be annoying.
But many of these updates contain a raft of security patches, so I recommend making sure that your Zoom is fully up to date.
Check everything before each meeting
Don’t assume that just because you just finished one meeting that everything well work fine for the next meeting.
Check everything, especially audio and video.
If you’re going to be doing something that you don’t normally do — like screen sharing, sharing music, or using breakout rooms — I suggest practicing before the meeting. Sorting out Zoom issues can be time-consuming, and it’s boring or frustrating for participants to sit through.
Want to know more about Zoom? Check out “The complete Zoom guide: From basic help to advanced tricks
