Zoom
Meet online with Zoom, a video conferencing tool. Set up virtual meetings and webinars. Connect through audio, video and chat.
Key features
- Host: host hundreds of participants through audio, video and chat. Participants don’t need an account to join a meeting, making it easy to collaborate with people outside the University.
- Schedule: set up meetings via Google Calendar, the Zoom app or website.
- Private: set up password controls for meetings, personal meeting rooms and unique meeting IDs.
- Screen share: share your desktop, application windows, or specific files with meeting participants.
- Chat: real-time messaging during meetings and private group chats.
- Collaboration tools: work on a digital whiteboard, assign breakout rooms, share group polls, and co-annotate shared screens for interactive collaboration.
- Record: record locally or to the cloud, and auto-generate searchable transcripts.
- Virtual backgrounds: customise your background during video calls to enhance privacy or add a professional look.
Access instructions
Sign in with your York username and password. Duo two-factor authentication is required.
For the best experience, we recommend using the Zoom app.
- On University managed devices, you can install the app from the Software Center (Windows) and Self Service (Mac).
- For other devices, download and install the app from Zoom Download Center (zoom.us).
- Once installed, open the app and sign in with SSO. If prompted, enter york-ac-uk as the company domain. A browser will open and then you can sign in as normal.
Available to students and staff (restrictions apply)
Staff and students have specific licences and restrictions. You can use this service on University-managed and personal devices.
App and web-based
Compatible with Windows and Mac. This service also works in your web browser.
Funded by the University
There isn’t a cost to you for standard use.
Additional information
Standard licences
Staff and students have different licences. As standard:
- Staff can host meetings with up to 500 participants and webinars with up to 500 participants.
- Students can host meetings with up to 300 participants. (Student licences don't include webinar hosting capabilities as standard but this can be made available at request.)
Upgrades
If you need to host meetings or webinars with more participants, IT Services can upgrade your Zoom licence on a case-by-case basis. Licences can accommodate:
- meetings for up to 500 participants
- webinars for up to 1,000, 3,000, 5,000, or 10,000 participants.
If you require these features, please request a zoom licence upgrade.
Meetings vs webinars
- Meetings are best for hosting interactive sessions, where you want to have group discussions, collaboration and utilise breakout rooms. Everyone can easily talk and share ideas.
- Webinars are ideal for large presentations with controlled interaction and can be open to the public. Attendees join without using their audio or video and typically don’t interact with one another. Think of webinars like a virtual lecture hall or auditorium.
For more information, see when to use meetings vs webinars (zoom.com).
Other requests
Access instructions
Sign in with your York username and password. Duo two-factor authentication is required.
For the best experience, we recommend using the Zoom app.
- On University managed devices, you can install the app from the Software Center (Windows) and Self Service (Mac).
- For other devices, download and install the app from Zoom Download Center (zoom.us).
- Once installed, open the app and sign in with SSO. If prompted, enter york-ac-uk as the company domain. A browser will open and then you can sign in as normal.
Guides and help
How-to guides and set up
- Get started with our Zoom guidance
- Sign in to Zoom in Google Calendar
- Support guides and video tutorials (zoom.com)
Search all our guides and help
Training and best practice
- Managing video conferencing recordings and when to record
- Watch recorded training sessions (zoom.com)
- Webinars and meetings best practice (zoom.com)
- Get ideas and industry insights (zoom.com)
Accessibility
Zoom has a variety of features to make it usable by people with accessibility needs. The company has also published Accessibility Conformance Reports.
- Accessibility features and reports (zoom.com).
Contact for support
- If you are experiencing technical issues and need advice, please contact Zoom Support (zoom.com) or browse the Zoom guides (zoom.com).
- Help is also available via the University wiki and IT Services.
Service commitments
What we expect of you
- Comply with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
- Only record meetings where it is appropriate to do so. For more information and guidance on when to record, see managing video conferencing records.
Data protection
The University has contractual agreements with Zoom for secure and compliant data processing and storage. This covers live meetings and the storage of recordings and chat transcripts on their cloud platform.
The recording of meetings is subject to GDPR and existing departmental policies. Participants must be informed that they are being recorded and recordings must be managed in a manner compliant with GDPR. For example:
- Notify participants verbally that the meeting will be recorded, for what purpose, and how and with whom this will be shared
- Restrict access to the recording to the intended audience
- Manage storage, archiving and deletion in line with agreed retention schedules (videos should not be kept beyond their useful purpose).
It may not always be appropriate to record meetings, eg because of the sensitivity of the discussions or because individuals have objected to a recording taking place. If in any doubt on how to proceed, get in touch with the University’s Data Protection Officer at dataprotection@york.ac.uk.
Zoom has an optional feature called Attention Monitoring which enables meeting hosts to see when participants tab away from an active Zoom meeting (ie to another window). This feature will be disabled globally as participants are unlikely to realise that their behaviour is being monitored.
Zoom app minimum version requirement
For security, and to access the latest features, Zoom apps are subject to a minimum version enforcement policy. On the first Wednesday of each month the University account minimum version will be set to 2 versions behind the latest available version. Should an exceptional or critical update be required, this may be enforced without notice after ensuring that it is available in all sources.
To avoid delays when joining meetings, it is advisable to periodically use the desktop app 'Check for updates' option in the dropdown menu from your profile picture.
The following policies apply to all IT services provided by the University.
Availability
- This is a live service, available 24/7.
Support
- This service is managed by a third party.
- They are responsible for monitoring, identifying and fixing faults.
- For technical support, contact Zoom Support (zoom.com).
- You can also find guidance via the Zoom Help Centre (zoom.com).
- We provide advice and support for local issues during our opening hours.
Standards
- Our service performance and standards have been produced in consultation with our customers, and we monitor the delivery, performance and availability of facilities and services.
We appreciate feedback as it helps us review and continually improve our service.
Page last reviewed: 9 September 2024