How to Raise Hand in Zoom: Desktop, Mobile & Shortcuts
Step-by-step instructions for raising your hand in Zoom on every device, plus troubleshooting and pro tips for hosts.
This is an independent guide. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Zoom Video Communications, Inc.
You're in a Zoom meeting with 40 people. The presenter asks for questions. You unmute yourself, start talking, and immediately get stepped on by three other voices. Sound familiar?
The raise hand feature in Zoom solves this. It gives you a visible way to signal that you want to speak without interrupting anyone. One click, and the host sees your name jump to the top of the participants list.
This guide shows you exactly how to raise hand in Zoom on desktop, mobile, and even with a physical hand gesture. You'll also learn what to do when the raise hand button is missing, and how hosts can manage raised hands in meetings and webinars.
What is the Raise Hand feature in Zoom?
The Raise Hand feature in Zoom is a nonverbal feedback tool that places a hand icon next to your name in the participants list. It notifies the host that you want to speak, ask a question, or vote. Available on desktop, mobile, and web, it works in both meetings and webinars.
How to Raise Hand in Zoom on Desktop (Windows & Mac)
Raising your hand on Zoom desktop takes about two seconds. Here's how to do it on Windows and Mac.
- 1Open the Reactions menu
During a meeting, look at the toolbar at the bottom of the Zoom window. Click the "Reactions" button (smiley face icon). On older Zoom versions, this may appear under "More".
- 2Click Raise Hand
In the Reactions popup, click "Raise Hand." A small hand icon will appear next to your name in the participants list, and the host gets a notification.
- 3Lower your hand when done
Click the same button again (now labeled "Lower Hand") to remove the raised hand. The host can also lower your hand from the participants panel.
Keyboard Shortcut
Skip the clicking entirely. Use Alt + Y on Windows or Option + Y on Mac to toggle your raised hand on and off. This is the fastest way to raise hand in Zoom, especially if you're sharing your screen and the toolbar is hidden.
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How to Raise Hand in Zoom on Mobile (iPhone, iPad & Android)
The steps are nearly identical on iOS and Android. Here's how to raise your hand in Zoom on your phone or tablet.
- 1Tap the screen to show controls
If the meeting controls are hidden, tap anywhere on the screen to make them appear.
- 2Tap More (three dots)
In the bottom-right corner, tap the "More" button (three horizontal dots). This opens the actions menu.
- 3Tap Raise Hand
Select "Raise Hand" from the menu. A hand icon appears next to your name. To lower it, tap "More" again and select "Lower Hand."
Dialing in by Phone?
If you joined the Zoom meeting by phone (audio only), press *9 on your keypad to raise or lower your hand. The host will see your phone number with a raised hand icon in the participants list.
How to Raise Hand in Zoom Using Gesture Recognition
Zoom can detect when you physically raise your hand in front of your camera and automatically activate the raise hand feature. No clicking required.
To enable this:
- Open Zoom Settings > General
- Scroll to "Reactions"
- Check "Automatically raise hand when a physical gesture is recognized"
Once enabled, hold your open palm next to your head for about two seconds. Zoom recognizes the gesture and raises your hand in the meeting. Lower your physical hand and click "Lower Hand" to dismiss it.
A few things to know: gesture recognition requires Zoom version 5.10.6 or later. It works best with good lighting and a clear camera view. If you tend to stretch your arms during meetings, you might trigger it accidentally, so consider turning it off if that happens.
This feature is great for engaging online meetings where you want participation to feel natural rather than robotic.
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Raise Hand in Zoom Not Showing? Here's How to Fix It
You're in a meeting, you need to ask a question, and the raise hand button is nowhere to be found. Here's what to check:
1. The host disabled nonverbal feedback. This is the most common reason. The meeting host (or their admin) can turn off nonverbal feedback in Zoom settings, which hides the raise hand option for all participants. Ask the host to enable it under Settings > Meeting > Nonverbal Feedback.
2. Your Zoom app is outdated. The reactions toolbar has moved around in recent updates. If you're running a version older than 5.x, update Zoom to the latest version from the Zoom Download Center.
3. You're in a webinar as a view-only attendee. In some webinar configurations, the host can restrict attendee reactions. Check if the Q&A panel is available instead.
4. The button is hidden under "More." On smaller screens or when screen sharing, the Reactions button gets pushed into the "More" menu. Click the three dots at the bottom of your Zoom window.
5. You're using an old web browser. If you joined via the Zoom web client, try Chrome or Edge (latest version). Firefox and Safari sometimes lag behind on Zoom feature support.
If you've tried everything and it still doesn't work, leave the meeting and rejoin. This resets your participant session and usually brings back missing UI elements. For more video call tips, check out our guide on looking good on video calls.
Meetings vs. Webinars: How Raise Hand Works Differently
The raise hand feature behaves differently depending on whether you're in a Zoom meeting or a Zoom webinar.
In meetings, all participants can raise their hand by default. The host and co-hosts see raised hands in the participants panel, and any participant can lower their own hand at any time.
In webinars, only attendees can raise their hand. Panelists don't have the option because they can unmute themselves directly. The host sees attendee hands in the Q&A or Attendees panel. Attendees can also use the raise hand feature to signal they want to be promoted to panelist.
One key difference: in meetings, raised hands persist until you lower them. In webinars, the host can lower all hands at once with a single click, which is useful for large events with hundreds of attendees.
If you're running virtual events, check out features that make online meetings more engaging.
Tips for Hosts: Managing Raised Hands in Zoom
Picture this: you're hosting a team all-hands with 80 people. Fifteen hands shoot up during the Q&A section. Here's how to handle it without chaos.
Check the participants panel. Participants with raised hands automatically move to the top of the list, sorted by the order they raised their hand. First hand up, first in line.
Lower individual hands. Hover over a participant's name and click "Lower Hand" after they've spoken. This keeps the queue clean.
Lower all hands at once. Click "Lower All Hands" at the bottom of the participants panel. Useful when switching to a new topic.
Announce the queue. Tell participants: "I see five hands raised. I'll take them in order." This prevents people from unmuting and jumping in.
Use raise hand with breakout rooms. In breakout rooms, participants can raise their hand to get the host's attention. The host sees a notification from the breakout room and can join to help.
For teams that meet daily, a virtual office with spatial audio can replace hand-raising entirely. Walk up to someone and start talking.
Meetings That Don't Need a Raise Hand Button
In Flat.social, you walk up to teammates and talk naturally with spatial audio. No waiting for permission to speak. Try it free.
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