How to Mute on Zoom (Yourself, One Guest or Everyone)

We've all heard it: a dog barking, someone chewing, a keyboard hammering away while a client is mid-sentence. Muting is the simplest bit of Zoom etiquette and the one people forget most. If you host calls for a living, it's also how you keep a larger session under control.

There are two sides to this. Muting yourself is easy. Muting other people, and deciding whether they can switch themselves back on, is where Zoom's host controls come in. I'll cover both, following Zoom's help pages.

Muting yourself on Zoom with the Audio button

On a Windows, macOS or Linux computer, click Audio in the meeting controls to mute or unmute. Zoom lists keyboard shortcuts too: Alt+A on Windows and Command+Shift+A on a Mac. The shortcut is handy when you're sharing a screen and the toolbar is out of reach.

The small up arrow next to Audio opens your microphone and speaker choices, which is where to look if people say they can't hear you even though you're unmuted.

Muting yourself on the Zoom app for Android or iPhone

On a phone, tap Join audio to connect first, then tap Unmute or Mute. If you've joined with no audio at all, the Mute button won't appear, so connect audio before assuming it's broken. Zoom's participant controls also list tapping your display name in Participants as another route.

Muting one person on Zoom as the host

Hosts and co-hosts can mute participants to manage background noise. Zoom's help for the desktop app says to open Participants, find the person and click the audio icon next to their name. In the web app, hover over the person in Participants and click Mute. On a phone, tap the participant's name and choose Mute.

Muting everyone on Zoom at once

1. Open Participants.
2. Click Mute all at the bottom of the list.
3. In the confirmation window, decide whether guests may unmute themselves.
4. Confirm.

On mobile, Zoom's help says to tap More, then Participants, then the three-dot menu, then Mute all. The confirmation step matters more than it looks. If you uncheck the option that lets participants unmute themselves, nobody can speak until you ask them to, which suits a webinar-style talk but frustrates a discussion.

Asking everyone to unmute on Zoom after a mute-all

When it's time for questions, Zoom's desktop help says to click More at the bottom of the Participants list and choose Ask all to unmute. Participants can then choose to stay muted or unmute themselves, so it's a polite request instead of a forced switch. Say what you're doing out loud, such as 'I'm opening the floor for questions now', so nobody is startled.

Muting Zoom guests automatically when they join

For regular larger meetings, set it up once. Zoom has a setting called Mute all participants when they join a meeting, found under the Schedule Meeting section of the Meeting tab in your settings. Account owners and admins can set it for an account or group and can lock it, and an individual user can use it unless a lock applies. If the toggle is grayed out, ask your admin.

Choosing when to mute on Zoom as a presenter or panelist

If you're giving a talk, the temptation is to leave your microphone open the whole time in case someone interrupts. Resist it. Open microphones pick up keyboard clicks, notifications read aloud by your computer and conversations in the next room. Mute while someone else is speaking, unmute when it's your turn, and use the shortcut so you aren't hunting for the button. If you share the stage with a colleague, agree beforehand who's covering the controls.

For recurring group sessions, I'd put one sentence in the invitation, along the lines of 'please join muted and use Raise Hand or the chat for questions'. People follow a clear instruction far more readily than a telling-off mid-call.

Mute etiquette on Zoom for client calls

• Start muted if you're not the speaker, and unmute only when you're about to talk.
• Mute before you cough, sip or type notes.
• If you present, ask a co-host to watch for open microphones.
• Don't mute a client without telling them, because it feels rude if they were mid-thought.
• If someone's noise isn't stopping, send a private chat message before muting them.

If you record calls, noise matters twice, because it ends up in the file. My guide to finding your webinar recording after a Zoom call explains where the replay turns up. And note-taking tools struggle with crosstalk, which I cover in what AI meeting notes get right and what they miss.

If you can't unmute on Zoom

• Check whether the host used Mute all and switched off self-unmuting. If so, use Raise Hand or the chat to ask.
• Check your audio is connected. On a phone, tap Join audio.
• Check the microphone choice via the arrow next to Audio.
• Look for a physical mute switch on your headset or laptop.
• Rejoin the meeting if nothing else works.

Frequently asked questions

How do I mute myself on Zoom?

Click Audio in the meeting controls, or press Alt+A on Windows or Command+Shift+A on a Mac. On a phone, tap Mute after you've joined audio.

How do I mute everyone on Zoom?

As the host, open Participants and click Mute all at the bottom of the list. In the confirmation window you can uncheck the option that lets participants unmute themselves.

How do I stop participants unmuting on Zoom?

When you click Mute all, uncheck the option that lets participants unmute themselves in the confirmation window.

Can I mute people when they join a Zoom meeting?

Yes. Use the Mute all participants when they join a meeting setting under Schedule Meeting in your settings, unless an admin has locked it.

How do I ask guests to unmute on Zoom?

Click More at the bottom of the Participants list, then Ask all to unmute. Guests can choose to stay muted or unmute.