Using Zoom Tools on an iPad as an Attendee

Questions

  • How do I use Zoom on an iPad?
  • How do I mute and unmute myself in Zoom on an iPad?
  • How do I use chat in a Zoom meeting on an iPad?
  • How do I join a breakout room in Zoom on an iPad?
  • Can I share my screen from an iPad in Zoom?
  • How do I annotate during a Zoom meeting on an iPad?
  • How do I react or give non-verbal feedback in Zoom on an iPad?
  • Where are the meeting controls in the Zoom iPad app?

Environment

This article applies to Bowdoin faculty, staff, and students attending Zoom meetings from the Zoom app on an iPad or iPad mini running a current version of iPadOS. You must be signed in to the Zoom app with your Bowdoin credentials before joining. Most attendee features are available on the iPad app; a small number of host-only features require the desktop app.

Resolution

Zoom meeting interface on an iPad with a single participant's video in the center and controls visible at the top.

Finding the Meeting Controls

Tap anywhere on the meeting screen to reveal the toolbar. On an iPad, the toolbar appears at the top of the screen. Tap the screen again to hide it. The controls include your microphone, camera, and access to participants, chat, reactions, and more.

Audio and Video

  • Mute / Unmute — Tap the microphone icon at the top-left of the toolbar to toggle your microphone on or off.
  • Start / Stop Video — Tap the camera icon to turn your video on or off.
  • Switch Camera — Tap the camera icon and then tap Switch Camera to toggle between the front and rear camera.
  • Audio options — Tap the microphone icon and select Audio Settings to choose a different microphone or speaker source, such as Bluetooth headphones.

In-Meeting Chat

  1. Tap More in the toolbar (the three-dot or ellipsis icon), then tap Chat.
  2. Type your message in the text field at the bottom and tap Send.
  3. To send a message to a specific person rather than everyone, tap the To: field and select a participant.

Reactions and Non-Verbal Feedback

  1. Tap More, then tap Reactions.
  2. Tap an emoji to send a reaction that appears briefly on your video tile for all participants to see. Options include thumbs up, clapping, raised hand, and others.
  3. To raise your hand, tap Raise Hand — a hand icon appears next to your name in the participants list to alert the host.

Joining a Breakout Room

When the host opens breakout rooms and assigns you to one, a prompt appears on your screen.

  1. Tap Join when the breakout room invitation appears. You are moved to your assigned room automatically.
  2. To leave the breakout room and return to the main meeting, tap Leave Breakout Room in the toolbar (if the host has allowed participants to return on their own).

Sharing Your Screen from an iPad

  1. Tap Share Content in the toolbar (or find it under More).
  2. Select what you want to share:
    • Screen — Shares everything visible on your iPad screen.
    • Photos — Share a photo or image from your Photos app.
    • iCloud Drive / Files — Share a document stored in Files.
    • Whiteboard — Open a shared whiteboard canvas.
  3. When sharing your screen, tap Start Broadcast if prompted, then switch to the app you want to show. Everything on your iPad screen will be visible to participants.
  4. To stop sharing, return to the Zoom app and tap Stop Share.

Annotating a Shared Screen

When someone else is sharing their screen and the host has enabled participant annotation, you can draw on the shared content.

  1. Tap Annotate in the toolbar (it appears when a screen share is active).
  2. Use the annotation tools — Draw, Text, Spotlight, Stamp, or Eraser — to mark up the shared content with your finger or Apple Pencil.
  3. Tap Stop Annotating to exit annotation mode.

Additional Help

If you need further assistance, you have several options:

  • Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
  • Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
  • In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
  • Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.

Additional Resources

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