Creating a Zoom Instant Meeting: Full Guide

Sometimes, you don’t need to plan a meeting ahead. You just need to meet right now. Zoom Instant Meetings makes that possible with one click. Just open Zoom and start your meeting.

If you’re already familiar with scheduling Zoom calls, you’ll notice the setup for instant meetings looks a little different. This guide will walk you through exactly how to start an instant meeting for desktop, mobile device, or using the Zoom app.

We’ll also show you how to take notes during your call with an AI-powered note taker, so you can stay focused on the conversation instead of scrambling to write things down.

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What is a Zoom Instant Meeting?

A Zoom Instant Meeting is a meeting you can start right away. No need to schedule a time, send calendar invites, or plan ahead. You open the Zoom app, hit “New Meeting,” and you're live.

It’s a useful option when something comes up unexpectedly or you want to quickly connect with a teammate or client. You can also invite others during the meeting using host controls, so you're not locked into a guest list beforehand.

Instant meetings can use your Personal Meeting ID (PMI) if you choose. This gives you a consistent Zoom meeting link you can reuse. To do this, click the down arrow next to New Meeting and select Use My Personal Meeting ID before you start. Just note that anyone with that link can join, so make sure you’re only sharing it with the right people.

One thing to keep in mind: meeting IDs created from the Zoom desktop or mobile app will expire as soon as the meeting ends. If you're using an API to start meetings, they can last a bit longer, between 24 to 48 hours.

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Zoom Instant vs Scheduled Zoom

Both Zoom instant and scheduled meetings take place on the same platform, but they serve different purposes.

An instant meeting starts the moment you hit the button. It’s ideal for quick chats, fast decisions, or when something unexpected comes up. You don’t need to set a time, send a calendar invite, or prepare ahead. You can also invite others once the meeting has started using the host controls.

A scheduled Zoom meeting, on the other hand, is better for planned discussions. It gives you time to send out a Zoom meeting invite, add it to your calendar, and share the Zoom meeting link in advance. This is helpful when you want everyone to join on time or when you need to prepare materials ahead of the call.

Scheduled meetings also give you more time to do a Zoom meeting test to check screen sharing, audio settings, or your background. If you're planning a presentation or troubleshooting ahead of time, a scheduled meeting is a better choice.

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How to Create a Zoom Instant Meeting

Let’s walk through how to start an instant meeting on desktop, mobile, and the Zoom app.

How to create a Zoom Instant Meeting on desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux)

1. Open the Zoom desktop app and sign in with your Zoom account credentials.
2. Go to the Home tab.
3. Click the New Meeting button to launch an instant meeting.
4. (Optional) Click the small arrow next to New Meeting to:

• Start with your video on
• Use Personal Meeting ID (PMI) as your meeting ID

By default, Zoom won’t automatically invite others to join. If you want to bring someone in, use the Invite option in your meeting controls. You can send them the Zoom meeting link directly from there.

If you often use your personal meeting, sign in to Zoom web to always launch instant meetings with your PMI. Just go to Settings > Schedule Meeting and enable the option below.

Instant meetings started on desktop will expire right after they end, so they’re meant for quick, real-time collaboration.

How to create a Zoom Instant Meeting on Android

• Open the Zoom mobile app on your Android device.
• Sign in with your Zoom account credentials.
• Tap Meet on the main screen.
• (Optional) Toggle on:
• Video On if you want to start with video
• Use Personal Meeting ID (PMI) if you prefer to launch the meeting with your personal room link
• Tap Start a Meeting to go live instantly.

How to create a Zoom Instant Meeting on iOS

1. Open the Zoom mobile app on your iOS device.
2. Sign in with your Zoom account credentials.
3. Tap Meet on the main screen.
4. (Optional) Toggle on:

• Video On if you want to start with video
• Use Personal Meeting ID (PMI) if you prefer to launch the meeting with your personal room link

5. Tap Start a Meeting to go live instantly.

Like on desktop, no one is automatically invited. You’ll need to tap Participants, then Invite to send the meeting link to others once you're in the call.

Remember: meetings started this way are short-lived. The meeting ID will expire once the session ends, so it's best used for quick calls rather than recurring sessions.

How to create a Zoom Instant Meeting on Team Chat

If you're using the Zoom app's Team Chat feature, you can also launch an instant meeting directly from a conversation:

1. Open the Zoom desktop app and sign in.
2. Click the Team Chat tab in the navigation bar.
3. Select a contact or group chat.
4. Click the video camera icon to start an instant meeting.

• (Optional) Click the down arrow next to the icon to choose Meet with video.

This method is great when you're already chatting with someone and want to switch to a call. The meeting will automatically invite members in the Zoom chat or channel you're in, so there's no need to manually send invites.

Once the call begins, you’ll have access to regular host tools, like muting participants, enabling computer audio, or sharing your screen.

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How to Take Notes of a Zoom Instant Meeting

Instant meetings move quickly, and there’s usually no time to open a document or start typing. If you want to keep track of decisions, tasks, or ideas shared during the call, using a Zoom AI note taker like Tactiq can help you stay focused while everything is recorded and organized for you.

Here’s how to use AI note-taking with Zoom meetings using Tactiq:

1. Install the Tactiq Chrome extension and sign in with your Google account.
2. Connect Zoom under Integrations in your Tactiq dashboard. This ensures Tactiq can detect and join your Zoom meetings.
3. Start your Zoom instant meeting.
4. When the meeting begins, Tactiq will detect it and launch the live transcription window.
5. Tactiq captures the conversation in real time with speaker labels and timestamps.
6. After the call, you can:

• Highlight key ideas
• Use AI prompts to generate summaries, follow-ups, or updates
• Export your notes or share them with others

You can also save your favorite AI prompts and build AI workflows tailored to your role. Tactiq helps you get more from your instant meetings without pausing to write everything down.

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Wrapping Up

Zoom instant meetings are designed for those moments when you need to meet now, not later. Whether you're solving a quick issue, checking in with a teammate, or jumping into a spontaneous discussion, you don’t need a formal setup, just your Zoom app and a few clicks.

And when you're in the moment, tools like Tactiq can help you keep track of everything without interrupting the flow. With live transcription, AI summaries, and integration options, you can turn fast conversations into organized, shareable notes.