Previously, we’ve talked about ways to share your screen effectively. Much of that advice hinges on our recommendation that participants only select the document they wish to share rather than their entire desktop, which we very much believe is best practice. But what if you’re not that technically savvy and Zoom is a bit intimidating? Believe us, we understand.
You can share your desktop if you prefer, but here’s one suggestion that will make your Zoom life a lot easier.
Why Should I Silence Notifications?
Most computers these days enable all sorts of notifications, from emails to texts and more. If you’re sharing your screen, you probably don’t want your coworkers or other parties to see them. It’s happened many times to our videographers during depositions–an attorney shares their desktop and is in the middle of showing an exhibit, and a notification pops up with the subject line CONFIDENTIAL and the opening words of the email. Not only has everyone now seen that confidential correspondence, if the deposition is being recorded remotely then that notification is now preserved in the video record.
It’s not always confidential notifications, either. We’ve seen attorneys get texts from their loved ones. Those heart emojis might be great for your spouse, but they definitely look out of place during a legal proceeding.
Not only do these notifications pop up on your screen, but they’re usually accompanied by a ding or a chime. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about the pitfalls of Zoom audio, including the fact that Zoom only transmits one person’s audio to the participants at a time.
How do I Silence My Notifications?
It’s super easy, and once you enable this setting, you’ll never have to touch it again. Zoom will remember it for all of your meetings.
Log in to your Zoom account and click the Settings gear in the upper right-hand corner.
In the Settings window that opens, select Share Screen and then check the box that says Silence system notifications when sharing desktop.
That’s all there is to it! Now, any time you share your desktop, Zoom will suppress notifications only while you are sharing your screen. It won’t alter the way your computer behaves day-to-day.
Happy Zooming!