How to Schedule a Zoom Meeting? [Step-by-Step Guide for 2025]

Zoom meetings are now the backbone of remote work and virtual collaboration, be it for team discussions, client calls, or webinars. If you're new to scheduling Zoom meetings, don’t worry—it’s a straightforward process once you get the hang of it. In this guide, I’ll show you how to schedule a Zoom meeting for different devices. 

As a bonus tip, I’ll also introduce a complementary tool to Zoom that would amp up your meeting productivity. Let’s get going!

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How to Schedule a Zoom Meeting Using the Desktop App?

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1. Open the Zoom Desktop Client and sign in.

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2. Navigate to the Home tab and click Schedule to open the scheduling window and proceed to configure your meeting settings.

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3. Add the meeting details: 

• Topic: Enter a name or topic for your meeting
• Time Off (Optional): Enable or disable this feature to appear as "Off" on your calendar. External users won’t be able to book time with you. Please note, this option appears only when your calendar is connected to the Zoom Calendar client
• Attendees: Enter email addresses or names of participants. Click the X next to a name to remove them. To use this feature, ensure you have Zoom calendar and contacts integration

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4. Add the date and time settings: 

• Start: Choose a date and time for your meeting
• Time Zone: Zoom defaults to your computer’s time zone. Use the dropdown to select a different time zone
• Repeat (Optional): Set up a recurring meeting with the same meeting ID
• All Day Meeting (Optional): Schedule the meeting between 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM
• Find a Time: Check guests' availability when scheduling

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5. Now it’s time for calendar integration. You can choose which calendar you want to connect to Zoom: 

• Microsoft Outlook: Opens the Outlook desktop app to create a calendar event (Windows only)
• iCalendar: Opens iCal to create a calendar event (macOS only)
• Google Calendar: Opens Google Calendar in your default browser to schedule an event
• Other Calendars: Generates an ICS file for use in your email application. You can copy and paste meeting details into your preferred platform

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6. Select the event type: 

• Offline: Only for in-person meetings 
• Zoom Meeting: Includes Zoom meeting details using your default settings
• Zoom Phone Call: Schedules a Zoom phone call

7. Add additional meeting details

• Location: Enter a meeting location
• Room: Specify a meeting room if applicable
• Description: Provide additional context for the event
• Attachments: Upload any necessary files
• Visibility: Set visibility as Default, Public, or Private
• Show Yourself as: Choose to appear Busy or Free during the event
• Allow Attendees to: Grant permissions to modify the event, invite others, and see attendee lists

8. Check the Export Options box to use an external calendar. 

9. Set up meeting security settings: 

• Passcode: Set a required passcode for participants
• Waiting Room: Enable a waiting room for added security
• Authenticated Users Only: Restrict access to signed-in users
• Encryption: Choose Enhanced Encryption (cloud-stored keys) or End-to-End Encryption (locally stored keys)

10. Add meeting ID options: 

• Generate Automatically: Creates a unique meeting ID
• Use Personal Meeting ID: Uses your permanent Zoom meeting ID

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11. Configure video and audio settings

• Host Video: Choose to start with the host’s video on or off (you can can enable it later)
• Participants' Video: Choose to start with participants' video on or off (they can enable it later)
• Audio Options: Allow participants to join via Telephone, Computer Audio, Both, or 3rd Party Audio (if enabled)
• Dial-in From: Choose dial-in countries for telephone access
• Interpretation (Windows & macOS only): Enable language interpretation (audio) or sign language interpretation (video). Assign an interpreter or add them during the meeting

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12. Once all settings are configured, click Save to finalize your scheduled meeting.

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How Can You Schedule a Zoom Meeting on Mobile Devices?

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1. Open the Zoom mobile app and sign in.

2. Navigate to the Meetings tab and tap Schedule. Select your meeting options. 

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3. Add meeting details: 

• Topic: Enter a name or topic for your meeting
• Starts (Date and time): Choose when your meeting will start
• Duration: Select an estimated duration (the meeting will not end automatically after this time)
• Time Zone: Zoom defaults to your device’s time zone. Tap to change it
• Repeat: Set up a recurring meeting and select a recurrence pattern: Daily, Weekly, Every 2 Weeks, Monthly, or Yearly
• Calendar: Select a calendar service to add the meeting and send invites
• Use Personal Meeting ID (PMI): Toggle this setting on to use your Personal Meeting ID or off to generate a random unique ID

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4. Set up security settings

• Require Meeting Passcode: Enable this option if you require participants to enter a passcode
• Passcode: Enter a passcode using which participants can join
• Enable Waiting Room: Participants will wait in a virtual lounge for admission before joining
• Only Allow Authenticated Users: Restrict access to signed-in users
• Choose a Method: Users can Sign in to Zoom or Sign in with a specified domain
• Encryption: Choose Enhanced Encryption (cloud-stored keys) or End-to-End Encryption (locally stored keys

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5. Select meeting options: 

• Host Video On: Enable or disable the host’s video at the start
• Participant Video On: Enable or disable participants' video at the start
• Audio Options: Choose Device Audio only, Telephone only, Both, or 3rd Party Audio
• Select Dial-in Country: Choose dial-in numbers for the invite and rearrange them if needed
• Allow Join Before Host: Allow participants to join before the host. Please note, Basic (free) users have a 40-minute limit
• Join Before Meeting Start Time: If enabled, set how early participants can join (5, 10, 15 minutes, or Anytime)
• Request Permission to Unmute Participants: Allows attendees to give pre-approved consent for the host to unmute them
• Automatically Record Meeting: Enable automatic Zoom meeting recording
• Record Location: Choose Local Computer or Cloud storage
• Enable Focus Mode: Start the meeting in focus mode to minimize distractions (requires Zoom mobile app version 5.9.0 or higher)
• Add Watermark: Superimpose participants’ email addresses on shared content and video

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6. Configure additional settings:

• Approve or Block Entry for Users from Specific Countries/Regions: Allow or block participants from selected locations
• List in Public Event List: Add the meeting to your account’s public events calendar
• Schedule For: If you have scheduling privileges, select who you’re scheduling for
• Alternative Hosts: Assign alternative hosts from your organization. If enabled, you can also allow them to add or edit polls (Requires Zoom client version 5.8.0+ and Android client version 5.8.3+)
• Language Interpretation: Enable audio interpretation for multiple languages
• Sign Language Interpretation: Enable video interpretation for sign language

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7. Tap Save to complete the scheduling process.

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What's the Process for Scheduling Through the Zoom Web Portal?

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1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.

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2. Navigate to Meetings and click Schedule a Meeting.

3. Configure meeting options:

• Topic: Enter a name or topic for your meeting
• Description: Optionally, provide a brief meeting description
• Date & Time: Select when the meeting will take place. You can manually enter any time and press enter to confirm
• Duration: Choose an approximate duration (this is for scheduling purposes only; the meeting will not automatically end)
• Time Zone: Zoom uses your profile's time zone by default. Change it via the drop-down menu if needed
• Invitees: Add names or email addresses of users on your account to invite them (available only if Continuous Meeting Chat is enabled).
• Recurring Meeting: Check this box for recurring meetings, which keeps the same meeting ID for all sessions
• Recurrence: Choose between Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or No Fixed Time. You can set up to 50 recurrences. For more, use No Fixed Time
• Public Event Listing: Add the meeting to a public calendar associated with your vanity URL
• Registration: If required, attendees will receive a registration link instead of a direct joining link. Choose how attendees can register:
  • Register once for all occurrences
  • Register separately for each occurrence
  • Register once and choose specific occurrences

• Template: Apply a previously saved meeting template (if you have one)

4. Set up security settings:

• Passcode: Set a meeting passcode, which participants must enter to join.
• Waiting Room: Enable to screen participants before allowing them into the meeting.
• Authentication: Restrict access to signed-in users. If required, you can: 

• Add authentication exceptions (specific users can bypass authentication)
• Bulk upload exceptions via CSV

• Encryption: Choose between Enhanced Encryption (cloud-stored keys) and End-to-End Encryption (local device-stored keys)

5. If you have scheduling privileges for another user, select them from the drop-down menu. 

6. Select video and audio settings:

• Host Video: Choose whether the host's video is on or off by default
• Participant Video: Choose whether participants' videos are on or off by default
• Audio Options: Allow participants to join via Telephone, Computer Audio, Both, or 3rd Party Audio (if enabled)
• Dial-in Options: If Telephone or Both is enabled, edit dial-in countries

8. Save your settings to finalize the meeting setup.

How Do You Invite Others to Your Scheduled Zoom Meeting? 

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👉 For Windows, MacOS, or Linux

you can either copy the meeting invitation or copy the Zoom meeting link for your scheduled meeting to invite others. 

Here are the steps: 

Copying a Zoom meeting invitation

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Copying the Zoom meeting link

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👉 For Zoom web

The options to send invites are similar to the previous option—you can either copy the Zoom meeting link or copy the invitation. 

Copying a Zoom meeting invitation

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Copying the Zoom meeting link

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What Advanced Options Can You Configure When Scheduling a Zoom Meeting?

Zoom offers multiple advanced meeting options, so you can customize your meeting settings the way you want. Let’s take a look: 

• Mute participants on entry: If Join before host is disabled, participants will remain muted on joining but they can unmute themselves. To mute all participants already in a meeting, use the participant management options
• Add image watermark: When screen sharing during a meeting or webinar, the viewer’s email will be displayed as a watermark across the shared content and participant videos
• Allow participants to join before start time: Let participants join the meeting before you—set a specific time limit 
• Request permission to unmute participants: Participants have to grant the host permission to unmute them. If denied, you can still send an Ask to unmute request
• Automatically record meeting: Choose to record Locally (on your computer) or In the cloud
• Enable focus mode on start: This feature starts the meeting with focus mode enabled to minimize distractions (Requires Zoom client version 5.9.0 or higher)
• Enable additional data center regions: Approve or block participants from specific countries/regions
• Schedule for: If you have scheduling privileges, select another user to schedule the meeting on their behalf. If you assign scheduling privileges in the Zoom web portal, you can restrict access to private meeting details in Outlook or Google Calendar
• Show in Public Event List: Add the meeting to a public calendar linked to your vanity URL
• Alternative hosts: Enter the email of another licensed Zoom user to allow them to start the meeting in your absence. You can also enable them to add or edit polls (Requires Zoom client version 5.8.0 or higher)

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How Can You Integrate Zoom Scheduling with Calendar Applications? 

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If you're using the Zoom desktop app, follow the steps we mentioned above to schedule a meeting. In the Calendar section, choose the calendar service you’ve integrated with, and Zoom will automatically sync the meeting to your calendar (Google Calendar, Outlook, iCalendar, and more).

And if you’re on the Zoom web portal, here’s how you can go about it: 

1. Sign in to the Zoom Web Portal.

2. Click Profile.

3. Under Others, in the Calendar and Contact Integration section, click Configure Calendar and Contacts Service.

Select the calendar service you want to integrate and adjust the permissions as needed. Click Next and follow the on-screen instructions to grant Zoom access to your calendar and contacts.

3. Now it’s time to grant access based on your calendar service: 

Google Calendar

• You'll be redirected to Google’s sign-in page
• Sign in to your Google account and click Allow to grant Zoom access to your contacts and calendar.

Office 365

• Ensure Authorize with OAuth 2.0 is selected
• Choose your permissions
• Configure the Office 365 service type

Microsoft Exchange

• Exchange login username or UPN: Enter the associated username or UPN
• Exchange login password: Enter the account password
• Exchange version: Select the correct version. If unsure, consult your IT team
• EWS URL: Enter your organization’s Exchange Web Services (EWS) URL. Contact your IT team in case you don’t know it

If you’ve enabled the impersonation account option, you don’t need to enter a password for calendar and contact integration. All meetings created via the Zoom web portal or Outlook will sync automatically.

4. Once you grant access, you’ll be redirected back to the Zoom web portal, where the integration permissions will be displayed. After configuring the calendar integration, sign out of the Zoom desktop app and sign in again to complete the setup.

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Make your Zoom Meetings More Productive with Jamie 

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Staying on top of your Zoom meetings is easier when everything is scheduled and synced with your calendar—you never have to worry about missing an important discussion. On top of that, advanced scheduling features help you stay in control, keeping things secure and running smoothly. Whether you’re joining from your desktop app, mobile, or the web portal, this guide is all you need to schedule your Zoom meetings effortlessly. 

But meetings aren’t just about showing up—they’re about making the most of your time. That’s where Jamie comes in. As an AI-powered note-taker for Zoom, Jamie captures discussions effortlessly and delivers human-like summaries and clear action items so nothing slips through the cracks. 

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Thanks to its Executive Assistant Sidebar (which uses advanced LLMs like GPT-4, Claude 3.5, and Jamie’s own AI), you can quickly retrieve meeting notes, extract insights, or get answers to your queries. 

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After a meeting is transcribed and summarized, you can instantly send the notes to colleagues via email, through simple copy-paste, or by generating a shareable link. It’s a quick and easy way to send a follow-up message to participants (and those who couldn’t attend the meeting) and keep them updated on the to-dos. 

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Another perk is, Jamie works completely offline, so your data stays private, and you don’t have to deal with meeting bots. Just accurate, secure, and hassle-free meeting notes to keep you and your team on track. 

👉 Download Jamie for free today and make your Zoom meetings smarter and more productive!

Or if you’d like to see the tool in action before making a move, schedule a free demo with us.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Scheduling Zoom Meetings 

a. How long can a free Zoom meeting last?

If you're using Zoom's free plan, there's a time limit of 40 minutes per meeting.

If you hit the 40-minute limit, you have two options:

• Restart the meeting: Start a new session and have participants rejoin
• Upgrade your plan: Paid Zoom plans offer extended meeting durations, with Pro accounts allowing up to 30 hours per session

Each Zoom plan has different time limits, so if you frequently host longer meetings, it's worth exploring an upgrade.

b. Can I schedule a Zoom meeting without downloading the app?

Yes, you can schedule a Zoom meeting directly through the Zoom web portal without downloading the desktop or mobile app. However, there are some limitations. The Zoom app offers a more seamless experience. In the web version, You’ll have fewer customization options and limited functionality for managing meetings.

Another issue is, not all browsers are fully supported. For best experience, use Chrome, Edge, or Firefox.

c. How do I set up a recurring Zoom meeting?

To save time, you can schedule a recurring meeting in Zoom with these steps:

1. Go to Meetings > Schedule in Zoom
2. In meeting details, select Repeat
3. Choose how often the meeting repeats (daily, weekly, or monthly)

Recurring meetings are great for weekly team check-ins, ongoing training sessions, or regular client calls. Everyone can use the same meeting link each time. You can adjust or cancel recurring meetings in your Zoom settings anyime.

Can I allow participants to join before the host arrives?

Yes, Zoom offers the Join Before Host option, which allows participants to enter the meeting before you join. However, there are some things to consider:

• Security risks: Without a host present, participants can start conversations before the meeting, which may not be ideal for all meetings
• Alternative hosts: Instead of enabling Join Before Host, you can assign an alternative host who can start and manage the meeting in your absence
• Best practice: If security is a concern, consider using the Waiting Room feature, which lets the host control when participants enter

How do I schedule a Zoom meeting on behalf of someone else?

If you need to schedule a Zoom meeting for a colleague, executive, or team member, you can use scheduling privileges in Zoom:

1. Grant scheduling privileges: The person you're scheduling for must first enable this feature in their Zoom settings and assign you as a scheduler
2. Schedule a meeting: When creating a new meeting, choose the user you’re scheduling on behalf of
3. Manage meetings: Once scheduled, you can edit, reschedule, or cancel the meeting as needed

To use this feature, both users must have licensed Zoom accounts within the same organization. It's a great tool for executive assistants or team coordinators who need to manage multiple calendars efficiently.

Read More:

• Zoom Review: Evaluate Zoom’s features, pricing, security, user reviews, and more 
• How to Transcribe A Zoom Meeting: Learn how to transcribe Zoom meetings for free using Jamie
• Zoom Meeting Summary: Summarize your Zoom video calls with Jamie‍
• Zoom Tips & Tricks: Discover ways to make the most of Zoom's features‍
• Screen Sharing on Zoom: Learn how to share screen on Zoom for different devices
• Zoom Pricing: Get a detailed breakdown of Zoom’s pricing plans
• Zoom Background Blurring: Find out how to quickly blur your Zoom background in a few simple steps
• How to Change Name on Zoom: A step-by-step guide to change your display name on Zoom 
  

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