If you’re new to video conferencing — or even if you aren’t — you’ve probably found yourself unable to coherently think about your next steps at the end of video calls.
The time comes when everyone has said all the important things they need to say and now everyone has to move on with their lives and do something else, yet this is the hardest and most excruciating part for many people.
Who hangs up first? What needs to be said to end the call? Do you just like, leave?
In between fumbling around, trying to find the cursor and locate the “end call” button, this is pretty much how my video calls usually end:
Me: Well thanks very much for taking some time to talk with me. I appreciate it.
Other person: Of course! My pleasure.
Me: Take it easy. Stay safe and healthy.
Other person: Yep, you too.
Me: Bye.
Other person: Bye-bye now.
Me: Bye.
Other person: See ya.
Me: Bye.
You can see where I’m going with this. I take the double “bye” and put it on steroids.
After I had this awkward exchange again earlier this week, I reached out to the Twittersphere for help, and you folks listened.
oooh that’s good thanks
— Zachary Comeau (@ZWComeau) March 26, 2020
This is gonna change things for me big time. Watch out world. I’m gonna be ending those calls faster than you can say “let’s circle back…” https://t.co/hwoZoS8AWM
— Zachary Comeau (@ZWComeau) March 26, 2020
Thank you, tweeps. If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to find the mouse cursor to get out of the awkward ending of a Zoom call, this is now your escape.
Strangely enough, Kevin’s shortcut doesn’t appear on Zoom’s list of dozens of hot keys end users can utilize to streamline functions during a call, but I tried it and it worked. Look at the other hot keys though, because you can essentially run or participate in a call and not even have to touch your mouse.
Here are some Zoom shortcuts I think are particularly useful:
- F6: Navigate among Zoom popup windows.
- Ctrl+Alt+Shift: Move focus to Zoom’s meeting controls
- PageUp: View previous 25 video stream in gallery view
- PageDown: View next 25 video stream in gallery view
- Alt: Turn on/off the option Always show meeting control toolbar in Accessibility Settings
- Alt+F4: Close the current window
- Alt+V: Start/Stop Video
- Alt+A: Mute/unmute audio
- Alt+M: Mute/unmute audio for everyone except host Note:For the meeting host only
- Alt+S: Launch share screen window and stop screen share Note:Will only work when meeting control toolbar has focus
- Alt+Shift+S: Start/stop new screen share Note:Will only work when meeting control toolbar has focus
- Alt+T: Pause or resume screen share Note:Will only work when meeting control toolbar has focus
- Alt+F: Enter or exit full screen
- Alt+H: Display/hide In-Meeting Chat panel
- Alt+Y: Raise/lower hand
- Alt+Shift+T: Screenshot
A lot of organizations are just now getting familiar with Zoom thanks to COVID-19 and a surge of people working at home, but they probably don’t know about most of these shortcuts.
Many probably weren’t familiar with Zoom or videoconferencing. Take a look, practice these hot keys and you’ll be able to run an efficient meeting and end these awkward interactions.
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