Sign into the same meeting on two devices

[alanterra]

I want to join meetings using my computer screen for video and my iPhone for audio. This allows me to walk away from the computer during the meeting and keep listening/talking, because my phone is in my pocket.

I can do this, though not very well, for meetings that I don't host: I join the meeting by iPhone with audio and no video, and I join the meeting by computer with video and no audio. Other than the confusion of being on the meeting twice, I can do this.

However, when I host a meeting, this is not an option. I can switch the meeting between devices, but as long as I am logged into my account on both devices, I can't join the same meeting at the same time.

The only solution I see is to create a free account, and log one device into that account, and host the meeting from the other account. This would be, clearly, a PITA.

Is there a better solution?

[WayneT · Accepted solution]

Have you tried joining audio by using the Phone Call or Call Me option instead of using Computer Audio?

This will let you join the meeting through your computer and use your iPhone as the speaker and mic

[alanterra]

That's a good idea, Wayne. I'll try it. It's not as good of a solution as Zoom making "the same person on a call using two different devices" a real thing, but until they do that (if ever) it is a good work-around. Thanks.

[TimSimpson]

I second this. I'm currently facing an issue where Zoom has terrible performance on my home internet where according to everyone I work with I'm constantly freezing and sounding like Max Headroom. However I apparently sound fine when I connect on my phone over cellular connection (go figure. The home internet connection should be, on paper, much faster but maybe there is some latency issue). To avoid having conversations endlessly interrupted I need to join on my phone, but since I need to screen share regularly I still have to join on my computer.

The way I currently do this is by clicking the "invite participant" link and then sending a link to myself on Slack which I open from my phone. I just tried the technique of not joining the audio which is somewhat useful as it shows the meeting ID, allowing me to tap it into my phone, but doesn't solve the problem of needing to join from my computer after I've joined or started a meeting from my phone (related question: why is the meeting ID so hard to find in the first place?). The zoom app is purposefully unhelpful here as it only lets me switch.

I imagine for 90% of users this it the less confusing option (the moment you join a call twice you better have the first device muted or you'll cause feedback to everyone's annoyance) so I understand why it may have been designed this way, but it makes my daily experience terrible. There should be some option somewhere in the Zoom App to join the meeting from a different device, even if it needs to be hidden. As is the experience is better tailored for people sharing a single Zoom account between multiple people.