Zoom Phone

This article will show you the basics of how to use Zoom Phone. Zoom Phone enables you to place and receive phone calls on your computer over the Internet using your Zoom account through the university.  This article assumes that you have a working understanding of the Zoom client and how to log in to your SOU Zoom account. If you need a primer, consult the Faculty Zoom FAQ. If you need help with Zoom Phone, contact your Computing Coordinator.

The Information Technology department discourages you from using Zoom Phone to dial 911 unless you do not have access to any other phone.

Requirements

To use Zoom Phone on your computer, you will need the following equipment:

1. Zoom client installed on the computer. You can download the Zoom client from https://zoom.us/download.
2. A microphone, preferably as part of a headset.
3. Computer speakers, earbuds, or a headset.
4. To make and receive calls you will need to have the Zoom client open and logged in. 

To use Zoom Phone on your cell phone, you will need to install the Zoom App from either the Google Play Store (Android) or the App Store (iPhone). 

What to Expect When You Start

When we enroll you in Zoom Phone, you should receive two emails: one with your private Zoom Phone number and one with your extension through our main SOU Zoom Phone number.

Once your phone has been successfully ported over to your campus phone number, you will receive an email that the porting has been completed. There is no action needed to port your phone number to your campus number. This will take place behind the scenes and IT will send an email once it has been completed.  

How to Access Zoom Phone

Look for the Phone icon in the middle of the menu buttons along the top of the Zoom client screen.

How to Make a Phone Call

You can adjust your area code in your Zoom settings so that if you are dialing a number that starts with 541, you can just dial the 7-number extension. 

Zoom Phone does not support using campus extensions. For example, to call our IT Helpdesk, dial 541-552-6900 (or 552-6900 if you have made the above change) instead of using the extension 26900. We are currently setting up the campus extensions in Zoom and once completed, you will be able to call the 4 digit extension (eg. 6900)

Use the number pad in the middle of the Zoom Phone screen to dial the number. You may also type in the number using your keyboard. You can backspace if you make a mistake. Place the phone call using the blue Call icon at the bottom of the number pad.

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Once your campus phone number is ported into Zoom and assigned to you, people receiving a call from you will see your campus number. Your name will not be displayed (unless you are making a call to another Zoom phone). 

How to Receive a Phone Call

Receiving a phone call is easy. Make sure that you are logged in to your Zoom client and wait. When someone calls your Zoom Phone number, an incoming call pop-up window will appear and a ringtone will play. You can accept or decline the phone call. Declined phone calls go to voicemail by default. Unanswered phone calls will go to voicemail after about 5 rings (depending on your Zoom Settings)

What You Can Do During a Phone Call

While on a call, you can do the following using the buttons on the screen in your Zoom client:

• Mute yourself.
• Access the Keypad again in case you need to interact with an automated menu.
• Adjust your Audio settings for your microphone and your speakers or headset.
• Add Call to add another party to the call (conference call).
• Place the other party on Hold. By default, they will hear hold music.
• Transferthe other party to another person. You will have the option to talk to the other person before transferring the call, or you can transfer them blind.
• Record the phone call. A verbal alert will be played to everyone on the phone call so that they know they are being recorded. Make sure you have their consent to be recorded before you use this feature!
• Initiate a Zoom Meetwith the callers joined automatically as phone participants. Be careful with this feature because it is not easy to revert back to a regular phone call after you have transitioned to the Zoom meeting. Ending the meeting will end the phone call. Learn more about how Zoom meetings interact with Zoom phone calls here.
• Minimize the phone call within your Zoom client. It will appear along the top of your Zoom client screen in a blue bar. Click the blue bar to bring up the phone call again. The call remains active while minimized. It does not place the other person on hold.
• Hang up using the red hang up icon.

The phone menu while on a call            

How to View Missed Calls and Voicemails

Your Zoom client will alert you when you have missed calls or voicemails by placing a red number icon on the Phone icon in the menu representing how many missed calls and unchecked voicemails you have. The Zoom Client will also place red number icons on the History tab and the Voicemail tab within the Zoom Phone window. Click on either tab to view your call log or your voicemails respectively.

You will also receive an email at your SOU email address whenever somebody leaves you a voicemail. The email will include an attached audio file containing the voice message and a transcription of the voice message. Please note that the transcription is likely to contain errors since speech-to-text technology is not perfect.

Voicemails in the Zoom Client

Click on the Voicemail tab in the Zoom Phone window to access your voicemails. Click the play button on a voicemail entry to listen to the voicemail. If you need to download a copy of the voicemail, you can click on the three dots next to the play button to access the option to download the message. You can also delete the voicemail from the same menu. Learn more about managing your voicemails here.

Call Log in the Zoom Client

Click on the History tab in the Zoom Phone window to access your call log. You can call the person back quickly by clicking on the phone icon within an entry. Click on the play button to listen to the recording associated with that phone call, if you made one. Use the three dots to access the expanded menu for the call entry where you can download your call recording if you made one, clear the record from your history, or block the caller.

Zoom SMS

Zoom Phone comes with the ability to text message. While in the Zoom client, under phone, click on SMS on the left to start a text or to read a text that was sent. This feature is great if text messages are the preferred communication with students, faculty or staff. If your campus number is ported over, anyone can send a text message to your 541-552-XXXX number.

Zoom Phone Settings – Hide incoming calls while in Zoom Meeting

To hide phone calls during your Zoom meetings, click on your profile icon in the top-right area of your Zoom client, then click on Settings in the menu, then click on Phone in the side links within the Settings window, then check the box for Hide incoming calls while in a Zoom meeting.

Zoom Phone Settings - Sign-In and Sign-Out of Receiving Shared Line Calls

Under the Phone settings in the Zoom client, you can use the checkbox for Shared Line Group to toggle whether your phone rings when a shared line is called that you can answer. This is used most often in a helpdesk environment and does not apply to all Zoom Phone users.

Zoom Settings – Start Zoom when I start Windows 

To ensure that you receive calls in your office while on your computer, it is highly suggested that you Start Zoom when I start Windows. If Zoom is not open, you will not receive Zoom calls on your computer. If you elect to start Zoom silently, you will not see a prompt when Zoom opens. 

Customize your voicemails, hold music, and other settings

Log in to your SOU Zoom account in a web browser at https://sou.zoom.us/signin. Click on the Phone entry in the sidebar links, then click on Settings in the menu. Here you can record your own custom greetings, select which greeting to use, upload your own custom hold music (respecting copyright law, of course), and more.  CTRL+Click here to explore all of the various settings that you can manage through this section of your Zoom account.