BYPASS THE WAITING ROOM

Maximize Zoom’s efficiency and avoid delays with its app vs. website and SSO

If you were here mid-year in 2020 you may remember that Zoom began requiring a passcode or waiting room stay to improve meeting security. Institutional users, such as OUM, were able to bypass that inconvenience and avoid the waiting room by making sure to log into Zoom with your OUM single sign-on (SSO) before you attempt to join a class/meeting.

Another way to assure that you are not delayed in the waiting room is to not only utilize the SSO option, but to do so on the Zoom app instead of the Zoom website.

“The best way to maximize access to all of Zoom’s meeting scheduling and calendar sync functions, as well as avoid the waiting room, is to use the Zoom app, instead of the Zoom website,” says Greg Beber, OUM’s Chief Information Officer. “Think of the Zoom app as a program you have downloaded to your computer, like Skype. You can even pin it to your computer’s task bar and set it to open automatically on startup, like you may do with email clients or your preferred web browser,” he adds.

Despite being enrolled in a particular course, some students have been placed in its waiting room. If that happens, the best thing to do is exit that meeting, make sure you’ve launched the Zoom desktop app and signed into it with SSO, then return to join your meeting or class. The important thing to keep in mind is that the Zoom app is not the same as the Zoom website. Even if you are logged in to the Zoom website, that doesn’t mean you also have the app running on your computer.

App perks

The Zoom app (pictured right) gives you several “one click” options for joining/scheduling meetings, managing contacts and chat, and managing the settings in your account. (See this walk-through video,
https://courses.oum.edu.ws/mod/page/view.php?id=66930, “Using the Zoom Desktop App to Join a Lecture” for helpful information.)

Tips to keep in mind regarding Zoom and SSO

  1. Whenever you are asked to sign in to Zoom (whether on the desktop app, a mobile app, or a web page) make sure you choose “Sign in with SSO.” OUM’s dedicated Zoom URL is zoom.us so if you ever get asked to enter a domain for “_____.zoom.us” make sure you enter “oum.”
  2. If you are ever in doubt, launch the Zoom desktop app. If you are being asked to log in, make sure to use SSO as described above.
  3. If you ever encounter a waiting room or a password requirement for an OUM lecture it means you are not logged in with your OUM Zoom account. You should exit the lecture then follow the instructions above and try again. (Note that individual meetings may have the waiting room enabled for all users, so if you are sure you are logged in with your OUM Zoom account, just sit tight and the host will let you in when he/she arrives).
  4. If you are ever asked to log in to view a recording, it means you are not logged in with your OUM Zoom account, and you should go to oum.zoom.us (pictured right) and click the “Zoom” button log in.

(October 2021)