Zoom's down, are you?

tl;dr: make a plan

Zoom outages can grind productivity to a halt—unless you’ve planned ahead. Critical communication tools need reliable backup options. Here’s how to make sure your team keeps moving even when Zoom isn’t.

Agree on a Backup Platform

Decide in advance which platform your team will switch to. Keep it simple—stick to one of these two:

Google Meet – Great if you’re already using Google Workspace.
Microsoft Teams – Ideal if your org is on Microsoft 365.

Choose only one and document the login method. Make sure everyone has access and knows how to join a meeting. Run a test call once so there are no surprises.

Pick a Default Meeting URL

Create a standard fallback link where everyone knows to meet if Zoom is down. Examples:

A static Google Meet or Teams link (e.g., meet.google.com/abc-defg-hij)
A dedicated URL like yourcompany.com/meeting that redirects to the backup platform

This link should be easy to remember and shared with the whole team.

Write and Distribute the “Zoom Down Plan”

Document a simple procedure that includes:

Which platform you’re switching to
The backup URL to use
Who will initiate the meeting
Where updates will be posted (e.g., Slack, Teams, or SMS)

Make this plan easily accessible:

Pin it in your team chat
Add it to your internal wiki
Include it in shared calendars or as a bookmark in browser startup pages

Include It in Onboarding

New team members should learn the backup plan on day one. It should be part of your documentation and orientation materials.

Practice It Occasionally

Test your failover process a couple of times a year. A quick 5-minute drill during a team meeting is enough to make sure everyone knows what to do.

Zoom outages don't need to stop your team. Pick a backup platform, share a fallback link, and make sure everyone knows the plan. Treat it like fire drill protocol—boring until it matters.