Raising your hand in a Zoom meeting

Raising your hand in a Zoom meeting.

Everyone seems to know about Zoom because it’s easy and free to run virtual meetings, digital clubs, family gatherings, and even weddings.

However, there are certain features in video conferencing software that not everyone is familiar with, such as Zoom breakout rooms or Zoom customizable backgrounds.

One of the most common features that can confuse a newbie to Zoom is the small digital hand. This hand allows you to interact with the meeting organizer to alert them that you want to share an issue or contribute to a topic.

If you are unsure of where to find the Zoom arm, you may raise your physical arm every time and the facilitator may not notice you, especially in a large meeting.

We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about raising your hand for a Zoom meeting on your computer or mobile device.

How to Raise a Hand in a Zoom Meeting

If you are attending a Zoom meeting from your Windows or Mac computer, use the instructions below to raise your hand and ask for an opportunity to speak.

Raise your hand to zoom in on a Windows PC or Mac

1. To get started, launch Zoom from the app or browser and select Join Meeting As Participant.

Note. You cannot access the Raise Hand option if you are the meeting organizer.

1. Select attendees using the meeting controls at the bottom of the screen.

1. Select Raise Hand from several options displayed in the Participants panel.

Note. There are keyboard shortcuts you can use on a Windows PC or Mac to raise your hand in Zoom. On a Windows PC, press Alt + Y and switch the Raise Hand option to On or Off. If enabled, you will see a small blue hand icon next to your name.

Note. If you’re using a Chromebook, see our guide to using Zoom on a Chromebook.

Raise your hand to zoom in on Android or iPhone

If you are using Zoom on your Android smartphone or iPhone, you can raise your hand using the Zoom mobile app.

1. To do this, open the Zoom app on your phone, select Join Meeting (As Attendee), and click More on the Meeting Controls in the lower-right corner of the screen.

1. Click Raise Hand from the pop-up menu, and the meeting organizer will receive a notification that you raised your hand.

Note. When your digital hand is raised, you will see a small blue hand icon on the screen, and the presenter will also see a hand next to your name. Zoom lists the participants in the order in which they raised their hands.

How to raise your hand on a Zoom phone call

If you want to join a Zoom meeting by dialing a phone number, the steps you take to raise your hand are slightly different.

After joining the meeting, dial * 9 on the phone keypad to raise your hand, and do the same to lower your hand.

What to Do When You Can’t See the Raise Hand Option in Zoom

If Raise Hand is not available in your Zoom meeting, the meeting organizer may have turned off non-verbal feedback, or you are in full screen mode.

In full screen mode, the bottom toolbar is minimized, but you can open it on your computer or mobile device by moving your mouse around the screen or touching the screen. When the toolbar appears, select or tap participants and the Raise Hand option appears.

If the meeting organizer has disabled non-verbal feedback, you will not see the Raise Hand option. In this case, you can always ask the host to turn on non-verbal feedback to enable the Raise Hand feature.

If you are the meeting organizer and need to enable Raise Hand for meeting attendees, you can do so in the Attendees panel.

1. To do this, log into Zoom in your browser and select My Account.

1. On the Personal tab, select Settings.

1. Find the Appointment tab and then scroll down to the Non-Verbal Feedback option.

1. Click the toggle button to enable non-verbal feedback for meeting attendees.

How to Lower Your Hand in a Zoom Meeting

Perhaps you raised your hand or accidentally raised it and are not sure how to lower it. However, here’s how you can get your hands down in a Zoom meeting.

Note. If you are the meeting organizer, you can lower the attendee’s hand by selecting Attendees from the meeting controls, then hover over the attendee’s name and select Lower Hand. On an Android phone or iPhone, click the Members tab, click the user’s name, and select Drop Hand from the pop-up menu.

Meeting hosts can also see all attendees raising their hands in a Zoom meeting by selecting the raised hand icon on the screen or by looking for the raised hand icon next to attendees in the attendee’s menu.

Catch the Meeting Host’s Attention

Raising your hand is a quick and easy way to grab the host’s attention in a Zoom meeting, as opposed to raising your hand or turning on the microphone to request a speech. We hope you were able to find this feature on your device and now know how to use it to your advantage.

Check out our other Zoom guides, including 7 Zoom tests to do before your next meeting, or what to do when a Zoom microphone isn’t working to help you navigate the app.

1. 1. On a Windows PC or Mac, select Participants and then Lower Hand.

1. 1. You can also lower your hand on your Android phone or iPhone by pressing More and selecting Lower Hand.
   1. To lower your arm using the keyboard shortcut, press Alt + Y on a Windows PC or Mac, and then set the Lower Arm option to Off.
2. –
   

   Raising your hand in a Zoom meeting

   Raising your hand in a Zoom meeting