How to Raise Hand on Zoom | 2024 Updated

There are many reasons why you may need to draw a speaker's attention to yourself in an ongoing Zoom conference call. It may be that you have a question or you wish to answer one. Sometimes, a suggestion may be so important that you can't wait till the meeting ends. Fortunately, Zoom provides a "Raise Hand" feature for that.

The "Raise Hand" feature in Zoom serves the same purpose as raising your hands in a physical meeting. It politely tells the speaker that you need to say something without abruptly interrupting them.

How to raise hands on Zoom on Windows or Mac?

Here's how to raise your hand in Zoom if you're using a Windows device or macOS:

How to raise your hand in Zoom on Windows  

Step 1: Navigate to the  "Participants" icon from "Reactions" and click on it during a meeting. You'll find the icon at the bottom of your center screen.

Step 2: Click the "Raise Hand" icon, which you'll find on the Window's button.

If you've followed this process, you've successfully raised your digital hand on Windows. This means that a little hand icon will appear beside your username. The speaker will see it and know that you have a question or need to draw their attention to something. If they permit you to speak, you may unmute yourself and ask your question.

How to raise your hand in Zoom on Mac

Follow the same process as in "how to raise your hand in Zoom on Windows" to raise your hand on Mac. It's the exact procedure.

Shortcuts to raise your hand in Zoom on Windows or Mac

You don't have to follow the long process above to raise your hand on Zoom every time. If you wish, you may decide to follow these shortcuts:

On Windows: Press the "Alt+Y" keyboard shortcut to raise your hand.

On Mac: Use the "Option+Y" shortcut functions to show a raise of hands.

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How to raise your hand in Zoom on Android or iPhone?

Raise your hand in Zoom on Android

Here's how to raise your hand on the Zoom webinar if you're using an Android device:

Step 1: Click "More" at your screen's bottom right corner. The "More" icon is the three horizontal dots on your screen.

Step 2: Click on "Raise Hand" when it pops up on your screen.

The meeting host should see your raised hand now and permit you to speak.

Raise your hand in Zoom on Your iPhone

To raise your hand on Zoom on an iPhone, follow the process for doing so on Android devices.

Can’t find the raise hand option? How to fix it?

Since Zoom's "Raise Hand" feature is very important, it can be worrisome to discover it isn't visible on your device. However, this problem is pretty common, and we've encountered it once. Here's how to troubleshoot and restore the "Raise Hand" function to your device:

Step 1: Check if you're in fullscreen mode. If you're in fullscreen mode, the bottom toolbar will be minimized to hide the Raise Hand option. To reveal "Raise Hand," tap on the screen and select "Participants." You'll find the "Raise Hand" option when you do this.

Step 2: Confirm that the meeting host hasn't disabled nonverbal feedback. You won't find the Raise Hand option on your screen if they have. The only way to restore this function is to ask the host to enable nonverbal feedback politely.

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How to lower your hand in Zoom meetings

Again, like in physical meetings, you can lower your hand when you no longer need to ask a question. Here's how to drop your hand on a PC, Mac, Android, or iPhone:

Step 1: Select "Participants" and tap on "Lower Hand" to lower your hand on your Windows PC or Mac

Step 2: Tap "More" and select "Lower Hand" to lower your hand on an iPhone or Android device.

Step 3: Lower your hand by clicking Alt+Y on your Windows PC or Option+Y on Mac if you wish to use the shortcut.

Read more: How to Take Zoom Meeting Notes

FAQs

How to raise a hand in Zoom dial-in calls

If you joined a Zoom meeting by dial-in, you can simply raise your hand by dialing *9 on your phone dial pad.

What are the advantages of using the Raise Hand feature in Zoom?

There are many reasons why you may want to use the "Raise Hand" feature on Zoom. First, it lets you indicate that you have a question or concern to express. You may also use it when you need to make a comment or draw a speaker's attention to something. Sometimes, it may be that you want the host to acknowledge your presence.

Regardless of your reasons for raising your hand, the "Raise Hand" feature is necessary for an organized meeting. It prevents rowdiness by ensuring that only approved participants can speak or make contributions. Again, you can lower your hand as you will in real life if you no longer need to answer a question or make a suggestion.

How can a meeting host enable the "Raise Hand" feature for participants?

Here's how meeting hosts can enable the nonverbal feedback option on Zoom to allow participants to raise their hands:

● Access Zoom by signing into the app on your browser

● Select "My Browser"

● Select "Settings" under the personal tab

● Navigate to the "Meeting" tab and scroll down till you reach the "Nonverbal Feedback" option

● Switch the "Nonverbal Feedback" option on and viola! you have now enabled "Raise Hand" options for your participants

How can meeting hosts view participants who raised their hands?

As a meeting host, you can view participants with raised hands by clicking on "Raised Hands" on your screen. Alternatively, check for the participants with raised hands from the participants' menu.

How to lower a participant's hand as a meeting host

Participants using Mac or Windows PC can lower their hand by pressing "Alt+Y '' and toggling the "Lower Hand'' option to off. If you use Android and iPhone, navigate to "More" and toggle the "Lower Hand'' to off too.

You can also lower a participant's hand if you're a host. To do this, visit the meeting controls and navigate to "Participants." Then, go to the participant's name and tap on it. You should see a popup menu with the "Lower Hand" option.

Conclusion

For top-notch user experience, Zoom meetings try to replicate physical conferences as much as possible. So, you can expect to find many features that mimic elements of physical conversations in the software. For example, Zoom lets you create, schedule, and host meetings like in real life.

You may also make gestures like a hand raise in an ongoing Zoom conference call. The "Raise Hand" feature indicates to the host that you wish to make a suggestion, ask, or answer a question. If you wish to transcribe voice notes on your Zoom call, Notta can help.