AI

A Practical Guide to Using Zoom's Raise Hand Feature Effectively.

AI Note-Taker

— 5 min read

Mastering the Zoom Raise Hand Feature: An Easy Guide

Published on: May 24, 2024 | By: Content Creation Team

Table of Contents

You have to acknowledge, the "raise hand" function in Zoom is quite ingenious. It's reminiscent of a traditional classroom setting, where you'd lift your hand to catch the teacher's attention for a question. This digital gesture is an incredibly useful tool (pun definitely intended) for making your voice heard during busy Zoom conferences. In this guide, we'll provide a comprehensive overview of how to signal a raised hand in Zoom meetings across various devices. Stick with us to the end, and you'll even learn how to raise your hand without needing to click or tap your screen!

How to Use Raise Hand in Zoom on a Mobile Device

Step 1: Enter a Zoom Session

Naturally, the initial step is to be part of a Zoom meeting. Once the meeting is underway, direct your attention to the bottom of your screen, where you'll find an option labeled "Reactions." This is typically represented by a smiley face icon, sometimes with a plus sign. Tapping this icon will reveal a pop-up menu featuring a "Raise Hand" button alongside various emojis.

Step 2: Activate Your Hand Raise

Upon tapping the "Raise Hand" button, a small hand icon will promptly appear next to your name in the participant roster. The meeting host will also receive a notification indicating your raised hand. At the bottom-left corner of the interface, you can often see a tally of how many hands are currently raised in the meeting. And that's essentially all there is to it. But hold on!

Step 3: Remember to Retract Your Hand

Picture a real-world scenario: you raise your hand, pose your question, receive your answer, but then continue to keep your hand elevated! Once you've finished speaking, tap the "Reactions" icon once more and select "Lower Hand." Should you forget this step, the meeting host has the ability to lower it for you. In fact, hosts can opt to lower all raised hands simultaneously during a session. This covers the essentials for using the raise hand feature in Zoom calls on your phone.

Using the Raise Hand Feature in Zoom Meetings on a Desktop

Raising your hand on Zoom via a desktop computer is exceptionally straightforward, regardless of whether you're using a Mac, Windows, or Linux operating system.

Step 1: Connect to or Initiate a Meeting

Either start a new meeting or join an existing one on Zoom. Next, click on the "Reactions" icon located in the bottom toolbar. It's the familiar smiley face icon. Within the options that appear, you'll see the "Raise Hand" button.

Step 2: Click to Signal Your Hand Raise

And that's the whole process! If you are the host and a participant raises their hand, you'll be alerted and can then unmute them. Don't forget to lower your hand once your interaction is complete. The host can also perform this action for you.

How to Signal a Raised Hand in Zoom via Dial-in

Zoom's dial-in option allows you to join meetings directly using your phone's calling feature. This means the usual visual "Raise Hand" button isn't available. However, there's no cause for concern! Zoom has a solution. Simply dial *9 on your phone's keypad, and the host will be notified that you've raised your hand. And that is all it takes! If you are the host and someone uses this feature, you will receive an alert and can unmute them. Remember to lower your hand (by dialing *9 again) after you've spoken, or the host can do it for you.

Raising Your Hand in Zoom Without Clicking

Well, perhaps not entirely "hands-free," but Zoom has introduced a capability that allows you to raise your hand without any direct clicking or tapping. This feature is known as gesture recognition. You can configure this setting before your Zoom meeting or call commences.

Activating Gesture Recognition in Zoom

Launch the Zoom application. Navigate to "Settings," and if you're not already on the "General" tab, select it. You should find a "Reactions" section, with several options listed below. Proceed to check the box for "Activate the following emojis based on hand gesture recognition." This can also be enabled while a meeting is in progress. You should notice a small upward-pointing arrow when you hover your cursor over the "Reactions" button. Clicking this will open a pop-up menu; select "Recognize hand gestures" to enable it. Currently, this functionality is limited to a couple of reactions, but Zoom may expand this in the future. Once you're done speaking, perform the hand-raising gesture again to lower your virtual hand; otherwise, it will remain visible for the duration of the meeting!

Leveraging AI for Enhanced Zoom Meetings

Raising your hand during Zoom calls usually indicates you have questions or points to discuss. Now, consider a scenario with ten or more participants in a call. That's a substantial amount of information being exchanged, and it can be challenging to keep track of everything. Employing an AI-powered assistant can make a significant difference in ensuring your meetings are productive and that everyone leaves the call feeling that their time was well spent and objectives were met. Tools like DeepVo.ai can be invaluable here, offering features such as high-accuracy voice-to-text conversion to capture every detail.

How DeepVo.ai Elevates Your Zoom Experience

DeepVo.ai is an advanced AI assistant crafted not just to upgrade your meetings, but also to empower communication among team members and refine your business workflows. You can seamlessly integrate DeepVo.ai with Zoom and reap the following advantages:

  • High-Accuracy Speech-to-Text: With DeepVo.ai, you benefit from exceptionally accurate meeting transcriptions, boasting up to 99.5% precision across over 100 languages. This ensures every spoken word is captured for your records or for those who couldn't attend.
  • AI Smart Summaries: Generate concise AI summaries of your meetings in under 10 seconds. DeepVo.ai even allows for customizable templates, focusing on key points and action items, so you quickly grasp the core takeaways without sifting through lengthy transcripts.
  • Intelligent Mind Maps: Transform discussions and decisions into structured, visual mind maps. These can be easily exported as images, offering a clear, hierarchical overview of the meeting's flow, key topics, and conclusions. This is perfect for review and sharing complex information.
  • Security and Accessibility: DeepVo.ai is designed with user convenience and security in mind. It's free to get started, and employs end-to-end encryption to protect your sensitive meeting data.

And this is merely scratching the surface! Instead of just signaling your intent to speak in Zoom meetings, gain a significant advantage with the comprehensive AI tools from DeepVo.ai! Pun, once again, intended!

Streamline Zoom Meetings With DeepVo.ai

Why can't I see the raise hand icon in Zoom?

No user interface is flawless! Zoom's "Raise Hand" icon is situated on the controls toolbar at the bottom of the screen, which sometimes gets minimized, especially when you enter full-screen mode. All you typically need to do is move your mouse cursor towards the bottom of the screen, and the toolbar should reappear, allowing you to find it.

How to use hand gestures on Zoom?

Ensure you have the most recent version of the Zoom application installed. Sign into the Zoom Desktop Client. Go to "Settings" and then select "General." Look for the "Reactions" section, and there you should find the "Activate the following emojis based on hand gesture" option. Check the box to enable this feature.

Why can't I raise my hand in Zoom?

First, verify that your Zoom application is updated to the latest version. If it's outdated, the "Raise Hand" button might not be visible. If your application is current, it's possible the control toolbar at the bottom of your screen has been accidentally minimized. Hover your mouse near the bottom edge of the Zoom window to see if it reappears.

Read more