Have you ever felt like your Zoom calls get chaotic, with people talking over each other and no clear focus? As your friendly Zoom expert, let me let you in on a great built-in feature to fix that.
What is Spotlight and Why Do You Need It?
Spotlight gives us the power to lock the screen on just one speaker during a Zoom session. Before we get into the step-by-step setup, here‘s a quick rundown of what spotlighting can do for your meetings:
The Struggle is Real
- We‘ve all been in Zoom calls that jump around from person to person
- The current speaker automatically becomes the main video
- Makes it tough to follow or control the flow
Spotlight Solves Discussion Diffusion
- Fixates all participants on a single active speaker
- Their video feed stays primary no matter who else makes noise
- Crucial for presentations, demos, lectures, interviews
- Studies show sustained focus improves information retention
Let‘s look at what puts Spotlight a leg up…
Spotlight vs. Pin – What‘s the Difference?
Spotlight and pin both lock a video feed as primary view. But pin only does that for you while spotlight sets the same fixed focus for the entire meeting.
| Feature | View Impact | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Spotlight | Sets primary view for all participants | Presentations, lectures, interviews |
| Pin video | Primary view only on your screen | Personal video preference |
Because spotlight controls the view for everyone, it‘s ideal anytime you need full group attention on a key speaker.
Both tools come in super handy though! So now let‘s get spotlight going…
Prepping the Spotlight for Success
Before pointing that zooming Spotlight cam on someone, few quick tips:
- Confirm video quality beforehand – avoid pixelation or bad lighting
- Position camera properly – frame the speaker clear and straight on
- Request mute from others – reduces background noise disruption
- Test audio levels – ensure speaker‘s voice projects well
Taking just a minute or two to prepare using those tips makes a world of difference! Now we‘re good to go…cue spotlight!
How to Spotlight a Speaker on Desktop
When you‘re ready to zap the spotlight onto a leading voice in the meeting, just follow these simple steps:
- Launch Zoom desktop app and start or join meeting as host
- Click on "Participants" icon to open the attendee sidebar
- Hover over the participant name and click "More"
- Select option for "Spotlight for Everyone"
- Voila! That user‘s video is now primary focus on all screens
Let‘s see it in action!
See? Just a couple quick clicks and the spotlight illuminates your chosen speaker‘s video for all to see!
The mobile app works very similarly…
Spotlighting Speakers in Mobile App
In just 3 taps on mobile, you can trigger the spotlight on iOS or Android devices:
- In Zoom app tap the "Participants" button
- Tap name of the participant you want spotlighted
- Select "Spotlight Video" from the menu
And shine! The mobile spotlight zooms in on their video feed as the fixed focus for all your meeting attendees.
Take a look:
Troubleshooting Spotlight Issues
With this powerful feature, there can be couple potential issues, but they‘re easily resolved:
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Spotlight option missing? | Ensure you have at least 3 participants with video on |
| Video lagging when spotlighted? | Lower resolution in Settings to conserve bandwidth |
| Multiple speakers talking? | Ask extra speakers to mute when someone is spotlighted |
If the problem persists, don‘t hesitate to reach out! Just contact your account administrator or Zoom support.
Let Your Next Meeting Shine
There you have it my friend! Now you can feel empowered to take the spotlight on Zoom into your own hands.
No more chaotic conversations or everyone talking over each other. Now you control the narrative flow.
Spotlight on! Your meetings will shine when you dynamically highlight key speakers.
For even more Zoom mastery, check out my next articles on advanced tricks like screen sharing and annotations. Go get ‘em!
