Note: At the end of this article will be a block of text that you can use to help Zoom newcomers understand what to do when trying to join a Zoom meeting if you are worried about their first experience joining a Zoom meeting.  Simply copy and paste the information to an email or messaging platform they will see. 
URL refers to a hyperlink or "link" used to access web content.

As of January 19^th, 2021, the security setting titled "Only authenticated users can join" is enabled by default when scheduling Zoom meetings. 

When joining a Zoom meeting that has this security setting enabled, a window will pop up before you can join the meeting.  It will ask you to sign into Zoom.  The picture below shows what you will see.

If you have not created a Zoom account before or are not signed into Zoom yet, clicking the “Sign into Zoom” button opens Zoom.us in a web browser (or the Zoom client if it is installed on your device) so you can sign in or create a free Zoom account.
Click the “Sign Up for Free." It will ask for a birthdate and your desired username and password.
Click “Create Account” and follow any given prompts to join the Zoom meeting.

Note: Zoom is very good at directing your attention to things you must do then redirecting you back to the Zoom meeting.  If at any point you mis-click and close a window or are worried you are not getting the right prompts, simply click the Zoom join URL again and repeat the process.  

Joining by Telephone

The January 19th, 2021 change did not affect joining a Zoom meeting via telephone.  Joining a Zoom meeting with these security settings still prompts them to enter the meeting’s passcode.  This can be found in the Zoom invite email you received and sometimes at the end of the Zoom URL.

You can join a meeting on a cellphone or rotary phone, using a smartphone is not required.

Copy-Paste Text for Instructing Zoom Newcomers

1. A Zoom host will provide a Zoom meeting URL via email or messaging platform to you.   Please retain this URL so that you can easily access it when it is time for you to join the meeting.   There are other ways to join a Zoom meeting through Zoom.us or the Zoom client, but the URL is most used.  To avoid many following steps, you can create a free Zoom account at https://zoom.us/signup.  Thus you will just sign in for Step 4 and connect to the Zoom meeting.
2. When you click the URL to join, you may be asked for a passcode to enter.  The passcode is in the Zoom invite email where you got your URL or a set of numbers (usually 6 digits) at the end of the URL.
3. Since you are new to Zoom and haven’t created a Zoom account (or have not signed in on your computer yet), a pop up will appear stating the “meeting is for authorized attendees only.”  
4. Click “Sign in to Join on the aforementioned pop up window.”
5. Click “Sign Up Free” and you will be redirected to Zoom.us in a web browser.
6. Enter a birthdate then your preferred username and password.
7. Click “Create Account.”
8. Click “Open zoom.us” when prompted and follow the prompts to open Zoom and connect to the Zoom meeting.  Done!

Note: If at any point you close a Zoom window or accidentally halt the process of joining to the meeting, click the Zoom invite URL to repeat the process again.

If you still have questions or concerns about the information presented in this article, please contact your IT department.