Sharing Content in Zoom

To show exhibits such as documents, photos or video recordings during your remote hearing, you will use the Zoom Share option. This allows the other hearing participants to see all or part of your computer screen.

Protect your privacy
Do not share your entire screen during the hearing. Instead, we encourage you to share just the window or application you want others to see.

When you share your entire screen, everyone can see everything on your desktop, including open web pages, documents, chat messages and email notifications. These can be distracting or worse: they could cause embarrassment, or show sensitive information.

Play it safe. Close all windows and applications except those you need for the hearing.

Some remote hearing participants may be joining by phone, and may not be able to see things shared in Zoom. Remember that you must send copies of your exhibits to the court and the other party, making sure they are received several days before the hearing. Check your hearing notice for the required number of days.

Sharing basics

These instructions are for sharing your applications, not your files.

  • An application is a tool like Adobe Acrobat, Excel, Media Player, or Word.
  • A file is an individual document within one of those applications.

If you have more than one document in an application open, you will be allowing participant to see all of the documents in that application.

  1. Before the hearing starts, open the file that you plan to share. Note which application runs the file. Does it use Adobe, Excel, Media Player, or Word, or some other program? You may need to minimize the application window until you are ready to share so you can see the Webex meeting screen.
  2. When you are ready to share, ask the court for permission to share.
  3. Once the judge grants permission, Click the Share button. If you are sharing an audio or video file, skip to Sharing Audio or Video section.
Sharing documents and photos

You will see all the open applications on your computer in the Share Content menu.

Select the application you would like to share and click Share.

Do not share your entire screen. Instead, just share the specific application.

Now that you are sharing the application, maximize the application to provide the best view for all participants.

What you see on your screen is what others are seeing. If you do not see the application, make sure it is not minimized.

Sharing audio or video

Look in the Bottom right corner of the Share Content menu for your optimization options. Check the boxes for both Share sound and Optimize for video sharing.

You will see all the open applications on your computer in the Share Content menu.

Select the application you would like to share and click Share.

Do not share your entire screen. Instead, just share the specific application.

Now that you are sharing the application, maximize the application to provide the best view for all participants.

What you see on your screen is what others are seeing. If you do not see the application, make sure it is not minimized.

Stop Sharing

When you are ready to stop sharing, move your cursor all the way to the top and middle of your computer screen. The Zoom toolbar will appear when you hover over the correct part of the screen. 

You will see an red rectangle below the toolbar with the message “You are screen sharing.”

Click the Stop Sharing button.

If this doesn’t work, close the application you were sharing.

Another option is to ask the Zoom host to stop you from sharing.

Zoom layout changes when you are sharing

When you are sharing an application in Zoom, the Zoom layout changes.

When you are sharing an application with video/sound, the participants’ videos will be minimized and you will receive this message in the upper right.

When you are sharing an application without video/sound, a small thumbnail will appear on the right of you screen displaying the last/current active speaker. you may minimize this thumbnail or expand it to return the entire zoom screen of all participants.

List of features while sharing:

  • Stop share: Stop sharing your screen.
  • Audio: Mute or unmute your microphone.
  • Video: Start or stop your in-meeting video.
  • Participants: View a list of those in the meeting
  • Chat: Open the chat window
  • Share: share a new document.video
  • Pause / Resume: Pause or resume screen sharing.
  • Layout: Manage the presenter layout
  • Annotate: Display annotation tools on the left of your screen for drawing or adding text on the screen share.
  • Show / Hide meeting: Show or hide the participants and screen share content from your personal view.
Annotate what you are sharing

The Zoom Annotate option allows you to add arrows, boxes and text, and highlight, and circle items.

  1. While you are sharing an application, move your cursor all the way to the top and right of your computer screen. zoom toolbar will appear when you hover over the correct part of the screen. 
  2. Click Annotate.
  3. The annotation toolbar will appear on the left-hand side of your screen.
  4. Your mouse is now in the annotation mode. To use your cursor again, click the cursor button at the top of the annotation toolbar.
  5. When you are done annotating, click the “X” at the bottom of the annotation toolbar
  6. the annotations disappear when you stop sharing.