Best Alternatives that can be used instead of Zoom App

Are you looking for alternatives to Zoom? Too many people want video conferencing apps to assist with phone calls, video calls, and desk-to-desk calls. It’s hard to figure out whether or not the app you want is right for you. We’ve assembled a list of video conferencing applications that reviewers voted best overall compared to Zoom. Based on the reviewer data, you can see how Zoom stacks up to the competition, check feedback from current and previous users, and find the best match for your company.

Zoom has gained immense momentum in a limited amount of time when a number of people operate from home due to the coronavirus outbreak. Last month, the video conference app attracted more than 200 million active users a day — a huge improvement from an average of 10 million users in the past. Nevertheless, amid its growing production, Zoom was under fire because of security concerns.

From schools and officials to different governments, citizens were told to refrain from using the device. The Indian Government has also recently warned its officials about the Zoom. Some of its users have claimed that the device sends data to third parties located in China.

What is Zoom

Zoom is a video-calling app that is ideal for large groups because it supports up to 100 users for free. It is widely being used for meetings, online learning, and university lectures, among other things. The app has become immensely popular as people have been forced to stay indoors due to the lockdown. The free version of Zoom allows users to enjoy unlimited 1-on-1 meetings along with group calls featuring up to 100 participants for 40 minutes.

Where did Zoom come from?

Zoom may only have become a household name since the globe became housebound but in fact, its popularity has been growing for several years. When it debuted on the stock market last year, it was already valued at $15bn (£12bn) and that has now risen to $38.5bn.

Started in 2011 by Chinese software engineer Eric Yuan, who emigrated from China to Silicon Valley at the age of 27, Zoom has quietly overtaken rivals such as Skype and Microsoft Teams, in part because of some pretty simple features including adaptive backgrounds.

It is free for anyone to use but its basic package has a 40-minute meeting limit for more than three participants, something it has just lifted for schools in the UK, Canada, and Germany to allow teachers to make use of longer sessions as they home-school their pupils.

It has been downloaded more than 50 million times on the Google app store alone as a global lockdown sends people in desperate search of digital ways to stay in touch with work colleagues, friends and family.

How to share screen on Zoom

One of Zoom’s features is Share Screen. Here’s how to enable it.

If you’re using the app on the computer, simply click on Share Screen which is on the bottom bar of the meeting window.
You’ll see various options here — under basic, you will be able to share your complete desktop screen or you can even select an individual application that’s open.
Additionally, you also get advanced sharing options like sharing only a portion of the screen or certain audio playing on the computer.
If you’re using this feature on your computer’s browser, then you’ll be disappointed to know that Share Screen is pretty basic for the web. Over here, you only get the option to share your entire browser’s screen, or the application window or a specific browser tab.
If you want to use Share Screen on your smartphone, simply start a meeting and tap Share, which is present in the bottom tab. With this, you’ll be able to share your phone’s screen, share files, documents and more, depending on your selection.

How to record Zoom meeting

Aside from the Sharing screen, if you are using Zoom on your computer, you will also be able to record your meetings. This functionality does not work on web browsers or smartphones.

To start recording Zoom meetings via your computer, simply click the record button present at the bottom of your meeting window and the app will immediately start recording your video and audio.
Once the meeting ends, your files will automatically be stored in your computer’s local storage. You can go to Zoom settings > Recording to see more recording options such as recording a separate file for each participant, and where to store the recorded Zoom meeting.
Do note, if you’re a participant and you wish to do the recording, then you’ll need to make sure that you are active via the Zoom app on your computer and you’ll also need to ask for the host’s permission to let you record.

How to change Zoom background

If you don’t want to reveal a bare wall or a messy room during a Zoom call, there’s a choice that lets you change your background easily. Follow the measure.

Open the Zoom app on your computer > click on your profile in the top-right corner and go to Settings.
Click on Virtual Background and choose between any of the five available options. Moreover, if you wish to get creative there’s an option to use the green screen as well if you sit to get creative.
Similarly, if you’re using an iPhone, after starting a meeting, click on More present in the bottom right corner of the screen > tap Virtual Background and select a default option or upload a photo of your own.

Advanced Zoom features

For all these features, how do you make sure the meeting goes as smoothly as possible? Suppose you are holding a conference of 100 people, what would you do to stop the chaos? Well, by following a bunch of tips, you may be able to do that as well. Follow these measures to escape the chaos of the Zoom meetings.

If you’re hosting a meeting from the Zoom app on your phone, Tap More. You’ll now see a bunch of controls here. To make things efficient, you can enable Lock Meeting to stop new participants from joining in and also enable Mute on entry whenever someone joins.
You can turn on Play Chime on Entry and Exit of participants.
You can set Allow participants to chat with the only Host, which will prevent people from talking amongst each other.
You can stop people from renaming meetings or sharing things in the meeting. Also from the main meeting window, you can go to participants and set individual permissions for every participant as well.
There’s one feature that’s only available on Zoom’s desktop apps. If you go to More, which is present in the bottom right corner, there’s an option Allow participants to unmute themselves. If you uncheck this, none of the participants will be able to unmute themselves when they are muted, which means you’ll have complete control over who speaks when in the meeting.
Additionally, you can also go to the Meetings tab, and mute all the participants at once.

Zoom meeting app: Is it safe

Why there is a resistance developed for the zoom app recently (Security, Data threat)?

Zoom has exploded in popularity as people turn to video calling software amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The moment of huge growth has seen Zoom rocket to the top of iOS and Android app stores as people gather around it for yoga classes, school lessons, and virtual nights out. Even the UK government has been holding daily cabinet meetings over Zoom.

With all this extra attention, Zoom is now facing a huge privacy and security backlash as security experts, privacy advocates, lawmakers, and even the FBI warn that Zoom’s default settings aren’t secure enough. Zoom now risks becoming a victim of its own success.

Zoom has definitely attracted a lot of users, but its success has also attracted a lot of trolls; trolls who Zoombomb video conferencing calls to cause havoc. Well, this word Zoombomb means when an uninvited person enters your conference and uses a screen-sharing feature to interrupt the call. This happens when a call becomes public, effectively allowing everyone to enter and make a request.

You don’t want these trolls to enter your meeting and display graphic photos, which is a problem many have faced. However, in order to avoid facing such a situation, always avoid sharing your meeting ID in public, such as through social media posts that anyone can see. Only give it to those who need to attend your Zoom group. Following that, follow the following steps:

If you are using Zoom on an iPhone, after starting a meeting, tap More. This is on the bottom right. Now select Meeting Settings. Now, disable the option called Allow participants to share.
If you’re using Zoom on an Android smartphone, start a meeting, tap More and go to Meeting settings. Over here, enable Lock Share.
If you are using Zoom on the Web or via the app on your computer, after starting a meeting, open Share Screen’s Advanced Sharing options, and under Who can share, click Host only.

Allegations and privacy concerns

Zoom collects large amounts of data in order to analyze its service and to provide businesses with useful tools.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has compiled a list of its privacy issues:

the host of a Zoom call has the capacity to monitor the activities of attendees while screen-sharing. They can see whether Zoom windows are active or not
it also allows administrators to see detailed dashboards of users’ activity, including a ranking system of users based on a total number of meeting minutes
if a user records any calls via Zoom, administrators can access the contents
during any meeting that has occurred or is in progress, administrators can see the operating system, IP address, location data and device information of each participant

Despite these warnings, people generally seem happy to share more and more aspects of their life on the app, including some who have given away rather more than they intended.

A widely shared video on social media shows a woman in a business conference forgetting that her colleagues can see her and going to the toilet mid-meeting while the rest of her team look on in bewildered embarrassment.

Other breaches of etiquette include “zoombombing”, a word surely set to take its place alongside self-isolation in post-virus dictionaries.

Why people preferred the zoom app?

People continue to use Zoom because it’s easy and free, but its competitors are making moves to catch up. There are a host of alternatives, and multiple services have made certain features free or upped the number of people who can join a call.

It seems like everyone knows about Zoom now: parents, co-workers, friends, relatives, and neighbors. The mobile video conferencing business that went public last year is having a moment during the pandemic. Users have come to the service to keep up with friends, create digital communities, and even host weddings.

However, in this period of huge development, researchers and journalists have tested the app and found numerous security and privacy risks. People are realizing that the free app may actually come with the cost of giving up their personal data.

Best Alternatives To Zoom App

1. Skype Meet Now

Skype is a free alternative to Zoom, but it’s not suitable for business users. It’s an especially good choice when you’re trying to have a video conference with a small group of people. Skype also provides a range of advanced features, such as file sharing, screen sharing, and unrivaled chat options.