How to Raise Hand in Zoom and Actually Get Heard

En cliquant « Accepter tous les cookies », vous acceptez le stockage de cookies sur votre appareil afin d'améliorer la navigation sur le site, d'analyser l'utilisation du site et de contribuer à nos efforts de marketing. Consultez notre Politique de confidentialité pour plus d'informations.

Nier

Hé, boîte promotionnelle !

MeetGeek

Blog

How to Raise Hand in Zoom and Actually Get Heard

Productivité

Learn how to raise your hand in Zoom on any device, avoid interruptions, and keep meetings organized from start to finish.

Melania Ciocianu

January 19, 2026

5 min read

Table of content

Example H2

Get started with MeetGeek AI Meeting Assistant:

📝 AI-powered Meeting Note taker
✅ Free meeting recording & transcription
💬 Automated sharing of insights to other tools.

Share the knowledge with your circle

Copied

If you have ever been in a crowded Zoom meeting where everyone wants to speak at once, you already know why the raise hand feature exists. It is one of those small Zoom tools that quietly keeps meetings from turning into noise.

‍

Knowing how to raise a hand in Zoom helps you participate without interrupting, keeps discussions structured, and makes it easier for hosts to manage who speaks next. Whether you are joining from the Zoom desktop app, the Zoom mobile app, or a browser, the experience is slightly different, but the idea stays the same.

‍

This guide walks through how the raise hand feature works and how to use it on every device.

‍

What the raise hand feature does in a Zoom meeting

The raise hand feature lets you signal that you want to speak without using your voice. When you raise your hand, a small hand icon appears next to your name in the participants list. The host or co-host can see it immediately and decide when to invite you into the conversation.

‍

This is especially helpful in larger meetings, structured discussions, training sessions, and webinars. Instead of talking over someone or jumping in at the wrong moment, you can raise your hand and wait to be heard.

‍

It is a simple feature, but it plays a big role in keeping meetings respectful and focused.

‍

How to raise your hand in Zoom on desktop (Windows and Mac)

When you’re using the Zoom app on a computer, raising your hand only takes a few clicks:

Join the meeting through the Zoom desktop application
Move your cursor to reveal the meeting controls at the bottom of the screen
Open Reactions
Choose Raise Hand

‍

‍

After that, a small hand symbol appears next to your name in the participants list. Your hand will remain raised until you lower it or the meeting host clears it.

‍

To lower your hand on the desktop:

Open Reactions again
Select Lower Hand

‍

If you prefer shortcuts, you can raise or lower your hand instantly:

Windows: Press Alt + Y
Mac: Press Option + Y

‍

How to raise your hand in Zoom on mobile (iOS and Android)

On phones and tablets, the process to raise your hand on Zoom is slightly different but just as simple:

Join the Zoom meeting from the mobile app
Tap the screen to display the meeting menu
Tap More
Select Raise Hand

‍

Two panels showing how to raise hand in Zoom mobile app

‍

You’ll see the hand icon next to your name, just like in the desktop version.

‍

To put your hand down:

Tap More again
Choose Lower Hand

‍

This works the same way on both iOS and Android, as long as the app is up to date.

‍

How to raise your hand when joining Zoom from a browser

If you’re attending a Zoom meeting through a web browser, the steps are nearly identical to the desktop app:

Join the meeting using your browser
Look for the control bar at the bottom of the meeting window
Click Reactions
Select Raise Hand

‍

Zoom will show the raised hand icon next to your name in the participant list.

‍

To lower it:

Click Reactions once more
Choose Lower Hand

‍

Raising your hand on a Zoom call using a phone

If you joined the meeting by dialing in without video, you can raise your hand using your keypad:

Press *9 on your phone to raise your hand
Press *9 again to lower your hand

‍

This option is helpful for audio-only participants who still want to take part in the discussion.

‍

Using hand gestures and gesture recognition in Zoom

Zoom also supports hand gestures, where the app recognizes a physical movement and turns it into a reaction.

‍

If gesture recognition is enabled, Zoom can detect when you raise your hand or give a thumbs-up and automatically trigger the matching reaction on screen.

‍

To enable gesture recognition, open Zoom settings, go to the reactions or in-meeting section, and turn on gesture recognition. If Zoom seems to raise your hand without you clicking anything, this setting is usually the reason.

‍

Turn participation into action with MeetGeek

Raising your hand helps you take part in the discussion. Making sure nothing important is forgotten afterward is where things usually fall apart.

‍

MeetGeek is an AI notetaker made to attend your virtual meetings with you and make sure every important detail is captured. Once connected to your calendar, MeetGeek can automatically join selected Zoom meetings with permission and record the conversation in the background.

‍

Shared meeting notes from marketing sync meeting featuring meeting summary, next steps, topics and highlights

‍

With MeetGeek, you get:

Automatic recording and transcription for Zoom meetings
Clear summaries with key points and decisions
Action items extracted and organized after each meeting
Searchable transcripts you can revisit at any time
Easy sharing of notes with attendees who joined late or could not attend
AI voice agents that can talk during meetings and help you run them

‍

Instead of juggling notes while trying to follow the conversation, you can focus on when to raise your hand and what to say.

‍

How hosts and co-hosts manage raised hands

For the host, raised hands appear by the name of the participant in the participants' list in the form of a raised hand icon by their name.

‍

The host or co-host can then invite someone to speak, unmute them, or lower their hand once the question or comment has been addressed. In larger meetings, this helps maintain order and gives everyone an equal opportunity to speak.

‍

Pair Zoom with MeetGeek

Knowing how to raise your hand in Zoom helps you take part in meetings without interrupting the flow. Whether you are joining from a desktop, mobile, or a browser, the feature gives everyone a fair chance to speak and keeps discussions organized.

‍

Once the meeting ends, what really matters is what happens next. That is where MeetGeek helps. By capturing the conversation, summarizing key points, and pulling out action items automatically, MeetGeek makes sure your input does not get lost after the call.

‍

Try MeetGeek for free and turn your Zoom meetings into clear outcomes, not just conversations.

‍

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I raise my hand on Zoom?

This usually means the host has disabled reactions or you are using an outdated app. Check Zoom settings, update to the latest version, or look under the Reactions menu, where the feature is sometimes grouped.

‍

What is the shortcut key for raising a hand in Zoom?

On Windows, press Alt + Y. On Mac, press Option + Y. The shortcut toggles between raise hand and lower hand.

‍

Where do raised hands appear in Zoom?

When a participant raises their hand, a hand icon appears next to their name in the participants list, visible to the host and co-hosts.

‍

Article updated on

January 19, 2026

Share the knowledge with your circle

Copied

How to Raise Hand in Zoom and Actually Get Heard

Learn how to raise your hand in Zoom on any device, avoid interruptions, and keep meetings organized from start to finish.

How to Raise Hand in Zoom and Actually Get Heard

What the raise hand feature does in a Zoom meeting

How to raise your hand in Zoom on desktop (Windows and Mac)

How to raise your hand in Zoom on mobile (iOS and Android)

How to raise your hand when joining Zoom from a browser

Raising your hand on a Zoom call using a phone

Using hand gestures and gesture recognition in Zoom

Turn participation into action with MeetGeek

How hosts and co-hosts manage raised hands

Pair Zoom with MeetGeek

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I raise my hand on Zoom?

What is the shortcut key for raising a hand in Zoom?

Where do raised hands appear in Zoom?

Commencez avec MeetGeek