Looking to Make Zoom Calls with Relay?

Many people are using Zoom, an application for video conference calls, to connect with family, friends, and colleagues while social distancing. Try these tips to connect to Zoom while using Relay or Captioned Telephone:

Connecting to a Zoom meeting with Traditional Relay Service:

• Click the link provided in the Zoom invite to connect to the video portion of the meeting. This will open an internet browser window that connects to Zoom for video.
• When prompted about audio, you MUST choose “phone” audio.
• For the audio component, using your phone or TTY, dial 711 and provide the Communication Assistant (CA) the phone number provided in the Zoom invite.
• Provide the CA with the Meeting ID and Participant ID (if any), which the CA will enter for you.

Connecting to a Zoom meeting using a CapTel phone:

• Click the link provided in the Zoom invite to connect to the video portion of the meeting. This will open an internet browser window that connects to Zoom for video.
• When prompted about audio, you MUST choose “phone” audio.
• To receive audio with captions, from your CapTel phone, dial the phone number provided in the Zoom meeting invite.
• Watch the Signal Meter on the display screen of your CapTel phone to determine when the call is connected.
• Once connected, enter the Meeting ID and press #. Then, enter the Participant ID (if any) and press #.

Connecting to a Zoom meeting using Hamilton® CapTel® for PC and Mac:

• Click the link provided in the Zoom invite to connect to the video portion of the meeting. This will open an internet browser window that connects to Zoom for video.
• When prompted about audio, you MUST choose “phone” audio.
• To receive audio with captions, open another browser window and connect to Hamilton CapTel for PC/Mac and place a call to the phone number provided in the Zoom invite.
• Once connected, enter the Meeting ID and Participant ID (if any).

Note: To maximize your experience, set up two computer monitors or two separate devices so you can view video on one and captions on the other.

Setting up your own Zoom meeting

If you are hosting a Zoom meeting, there are several features available for call setup. For example, you can determine which audio feature to enable to best fit your audio needs and set preferences around how participants can join your meeting. You may want to establish some "rules" at the beginning of your calls so that you can facilitate the conversation in a way that best meets your needs.

Most of all, be patient and expect to go through a little trial and error. Zoom has a great FAQ section on their website with step-by-step instructions and video to walk you through different features. And as always, feel free to reach out to Customer Care at 800-618-4781.