Zoom features you'll want to explore

Zoom is regularly being updated and while some of the changes are obvious, others are not. In this article I will highlight some recent changes and new features of Zoom.

Note: you and your participants sometimes need to to manually update your Zoom desktop client or mobile app to see new features. How to update your desktop application. To update your mobile app, Zoom will display a notification on your mobile device when there’s an update. More information about the desktop client.

Breakout Rooms

Co-hosts can now manage breakout rooms

Now co-hosts have the same breakout room controls as the meeting host, such as starting or ending breakout rooms, assigning participants, etc.

Self-select Breakout Rooms

As a host/co-host, you can create breakout rooms with the option for participants to self-select which breakout room they would like to join. If enabled, participants can move freely between breakout rooms, without needing the host’s help. 

Security

Hide profile pictures

Under the Security icon, hosts can hide profile pictures of any participants that don’t have their video on. Only their names will be displayed. 

Suspend participant activity

Also under the Security icon, hosts and co-hosts can temporarily pause their meeting and remove a disruptive participant. By clicking “Suspend Participant Activities,” all video, audio, in-meeting chat, annotation, screen sharing, and recording during that time will stop, and Breakout Rooms will end. Use this option when someone is disrupting your meeting.

Sharing

Share multiple programs at once

You’ve always been able to share a screen or share a window but now you can select multiple desktop programs at once for sharing (side by side), instead of sharing your entire desktop. Other programs and unoccupied areas in the desktop will not be visible to the viewer. The sharer will always know which applications they are sharing by a green border. Here’s a video that explains how to share multiple programs.

Share PowerPoint as Virtual Background

Select a PowerPoint file to use as your virtual background and move through the slides with the left and right arrows. Your webcam video will show up “on top” of your slides so you’ll have to format your slides accordingly. This option is under Share Screen in the advanced options.

Share simultaneously

Meeting hosts can allow multiple participants to share at the same time. This can be useful when comparing documents by different participants. This option can be switched during the meeting back to One participant can share at a time. Here is a video that shows more about using this feature. 

Non-verbal feedback

Raise hand, yes/no and faster/slower buttons

The non-verbal feedback options that were in the Participant panel have moved to the Reactions button, and all reactions will be shown in the corner of the participants’ video. 

• Non-verbal feedback (Yes, No, Slow down, Speed up, Raise Hand) when these reactions are selected, they persist until the participant or the host clears the reaction. 
• Meeting reactions on the top row of the Reactions menu (Applause, Thumbs Up, Heart, Laughing, Surprise, TaDa), when selected, appear in the Participant Panel and in the participant’s thumbnail for 10 seconds before disappearing. 

Raise hand for host and co-host

Hosts and co-hosts can now utilize the raise hand feature along with meeting participants and webinar attendees.

Your visual appearance

Adjust video brightness

This feature is useful in low-light environments. Adjust the brightness of your video automatically or manually with a slider in your video settings.

Adjust Touch Up My Appearance

Adjust the skin smoothness applied with the Touch Up My Appearance feature in your video settings

Studio Effects

Apply eyebrows, mustache and beard, and lip color filters as part of your video appearance. Studio Effects can be found in the lower right corner of your video settings.

Video filters

You can apply video filters to alter the look of your video with color grading, foreground and frame filters.

Convert meetings and webinars

Meeting or webinar? Sometimes you don’t know right away which one you need. We’ve always been able to convert meetings to webinars but not the other way around. Now you can convert your webinar to a meeting. To find this option, log into zoom.umn.edu, click on your meeting or webinar. At the bottom of the page, it will provide an option to convert it.