Zoom's dark pattern is to obscure that every online meeting can be joined from the browser. They really hide this in order to install software on the client machine, which has been susceptible to bugs in the past.
Has more information and browser support/feature tables.
Thanks a ton for posting this. I don't use Zoom as much as I used to but I know the browser client didn't use to exist. I can't vouch for how well it works to anyone reading this, but I prefer browser clients in general if possible and will try it out to anyone from Zoom. Your email QA was helpful years ago and sent a Linux build with more debugging[0] so you could fix some issue when that was still new!
[0] I don't remember the details now, I don't think they were anything particularly exciting then. I appreciated the "Yep, we've heard about it, can you run this version and email us the logs when it happens again?" That's all I remember so I think we can assume they fixed it.
To give you an indication of how far their reach has been, the staff at our public library has an "all-hands" meeting on Thursday morning using Zoom.
I looked into the browser based version, but couldn't get it to load for some reason. Tried using Chrome and turned off Pi-Hole just in case they were blocking it.
Might have to do with my connection upstairs not being good enough - router is on the first floor on the opposite side of the house. Does anyone know what kind of bandwidth requirements there are for Zoom's clients? I don't see anything at that URL.
If all else fails, I'll probably do it from iOS, just so I can uninstall their client when we're done. No freaking way this comes anywhere near my laptop in any permanent fashion.
I've found that the call quality drops after about 20 minutes when using the Zoom web app on Chrome with participants from London/US. Also, the memory usage of the Chrome tab goes sky high. Doesn't happen with hangouts though - that actually feels quite smooth in comparison.
I used to get mad about this too and always declined the desktop app to get the browser link. But now that I've been using Zoom constantly I realize that the native app is just a WAY better experience.
I don't like dark patterns either, I think they should have posted something really visible saying GUYS LOOK SERIOUSLY it works better in the app instead.
But I do have some sympathy. I wonder if anyone would have ever tried the app if they weren't pushed so hard to do it.
This is a good thing, this sort of functionality belongs on your desktop, not as a webpage. We need less "apps" in the browser, not more. This is part of the reason why we sit with a broken and fragmented web where browsers include everything under the sun because all these "apps" want to do stuff while being in the browser.
For simple tasks yes, but just because it can be done in a browser doesn't mean it should. Native applications can provide performance optimizations that you wouldn't get in a web app. Would you rather play a realistic flight sim natively or in your browser?
I'd rather play it in a browser, even if it's much worse.
With the browser version, I can just open my browser and point to the URL and run it. Easy.
With a native app, this usually means I'd have to go buy a new computer running Windows or MacOS just to run this one stupid application, because I don't have either of those OSes at home. Of course, I'm not going to do that, which means I just don't use the app at all.
Then you're not most people. The desktop apps are faster, more reliable and more convenient for the vast majority of business users who just want it to work.
I completely disagree, and I mean for all desktop software vs. web software.
Web applications are generally better, because, as a Linux user, an in-browser application means I get to actually use the thing, instead of not using it at all.
I may not be most people, but for various reasons, it does seem than web apps are taking over and native apps are dying, so this is only good for me. Maybe there's more of us than you think.
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/214629443
I've had no problems from the browser, although I think on some platforms they suggest (or require?) Chrome over Firefox.