How to Raise a Hand In Zoom

Get the attention of the meeting host without interrupting

By
Kayla Dube
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Kayla Dube
Writer and Lifewire Technology Review Board Member
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Kayla Dube has 4+ years' experience in videography and filmmaking. She frequently works in production with indie film companies.
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Updated on March 8, 2021
Reviewed by
Jerrick Leger
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Reviewed by Jerrick Leger
Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses.
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What to Know

  • Go to the options bar on your video screen and select Reactions > Raise Hand.
  • To lower your hand, select Reactions > Lower Hand.
  • You need Zoom version 5.4.7 or later to do this.

This article includes instructions on raising (and lowering) your hand during a Zoom call using Zoom version 5.4.7 or later on a laptop or desktop computer.

How to Raise Your Hand

During Zoom meetings, you may have a question or comment for the host. However, it's not easy to get their attention in a virtual setting without disrupting them or another participant. Thankfully, Zoom has created a solution to this problem with the Raise Hand feature. Here's how to do it.

  1. During a meeting, navigate to the bottom options bar in your video screen and click Reactions.

    The Reactions button in Zoom.

  2. Underneath the reactions, there should be a separate button the says Raise Your Hand. Select this, and a hand icon should appear in the upper left-hand corner of your screen.

    The Raise Hand button in Zoom.

  3. To lower your hand, go back to Reactions, and the bottom button will now say Lower Your Hand. Select this to do so, and remove the hand icon from your video.

    The Lower Hand button in Zoom.

How the Host Can Respond to Raised Hands

Once you've raised your hand, there are some things you may want to keep in mind about what the host sees on their end.

  • Once you choose to raise your hand, your host will see your name rise in their list of participants. They'll also get a notification that you raised your hand.
  • The host can choose to allow you to talk, and you get a confirmation to unmute your mic in that case. When you can speak, the host will see your name and profile picture. Other participants will see your name.
  • While you're talking, the host can mute your mic again and prevent you from unmuting yourself.
  • The host can also lower your hand themselves.

Can't Raise Your Hand?

There are two reasons you might not be able to raise your hand in Zoom:

  • You don't have the correct version of the software
  • The meeting host removed the ability for participants to raise their hands.

To fix the first issue, make sure you have Zoom version 5.4.7 or later. Earlier versions don't have the option to raise your hand. To check your Zoom version, on the main page, go to Settings > Statistics > Version. If you don't have the correct version, go to Zoom's website to update to the latest one.

If you have the right version, contact the host to see if they'll turn on the feature.

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