In October 2020, Zoom added end-to-end encryption for free and paid users. As of June 2020, Zoom began offering end-to-end encryption to business and enterprise users, with AES 256 GCM encryption enabled for all users. Zoom security features include password-protected meetings, user authentication, waiting rooms, locked meetings, disabling participant screen sharing, randomly generated IDs, and the ability for the host to remove disruptive attendees. Up to 49 people can be seen on a desktop or laptop screen at once, up to 4 people per screen in iPhone and Android mobile phones and tablet computers, and up to 16 people per screen on iPad. Features geared towards business conferences, such as Zoom Rooms, are also available. For longer or larger conferences with more features, paid subscriptions are available. There is a 10-minute timeout period between free 40-minute meetings. Use of the platform is free for video conferences of up to 100 participants at once, with a 40-minute time limit. On some computers and operating systems, users are able to select a virtual background, which can be downloaded from different sites, to use as a backdrop behind themselves. Features include one-on-one meetings, group video conferences, screen sharing, plugins, browser extensions, and the ability to record meetings and have them automatically transcribed. It is noted for its simple interface and usability, regardless of technological expertise. Zoom is compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, and Linux. Zoom One has six tiers: Basic, Pro, Business, Business Plus, Enterprise, and Enterprise Plus.

In April 2020, Zoom had more than 300 million daily meeting participants, clarified to mean the number of times someone joined a meeting, which could happen several times per day. Zoom was one of the most downloaded mobile apps worldwide in 2020 with over 500 million downloads. ĭuring the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a major increase in the use of Zoom for remote work, distance education, and online social relations. In March 2020, the Zoom app was downloaded 2.13 million times. After the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, by February 2020, Zoom had gained 2.22 million users in 2020 – more users than it amassed in the entirety of 2019. By the end of its first month, Zoom had 400,000 users and rose to over one million users by May 2013. On January 25, 2013, version 1.0 of the program was released with an increase in the number of participants per conference to 25. A beta version of Zoom that could host conferences with only up to 15 video participants was launched on August 21, 2012.

Zoom phone conference call