Admin deployment of Zoom Apps

The account administrators may wish to restrict access to certain Zoom Apps or even disable access to the entire Zoom App experience due to security concerns, or other requirements. As a result of these concerns, Zoom has made available a variety of methods to control access to Zoom Apps, including the ability to disable Zoom Apps at the account and group levels, getting admin approval for specific Zoom Apps, and using MSI, plist, and GPO options to restrict the direct access via the desktop client.

This article provides details on Zoom Apps and how they are accessed by default, how they can be used in conjunction with the Zoom desktop client, and how they can be pre-approved for use. Please refer to our FAQ for more information about how to install and use Zoom Apps, meeting security options that enable you to suspend Zoom App use in meetings, and answers to other frequently asked questions.

Prerequisites for admin management of Zoom Apps

• Access only available to owners and administrators

Default Zoom Apps access

Access and use of Zoom Apps do not require an account, but there are just a few settings that can be configured to make sure your account is as secure and private as you want it to be. Zoom Apps can be accessed directly from the desktop client or from the Marketplace, provided the account admins have allowed the Zoom Apps button to be visible and the pre-approval for Marketplace apps has been disabled. This allows users to download apps immediately from the desktop client or the Marketplace, subject to approval by Zoom Apps.

If you have a single-user account (free or paid), Zoom Apps are enabled and visible in the desktop client, which does not require preapproval since you do not have any other users to approve before you embed them. The owner of the multi-user account will be advised that additional users will be able to install Zoom Apps with the permission of the owner, and that no pre-approval will be required; just like multiple-user accounts, they will be shown how to adjust the permissions for their account. Zoom Apps are enabled and visible by default in the desktop client of multi-user accounts and pre-approval is required for Marketplace apps in the Marketplace settings in multi-user accounts.

	Accessibility through the desktop client	and pre-approval of applications in the marketplace
through a single user account (Free and Pro)	Yes	N/A
Existing multi-user accounts	Yes	Enabled

Note:

Depending on the size of the account, you may need to stray from these defaults for reasons of security and/or compliance. Owners and administrators of these accounts have already been informed of these default settings by Zoom.

Zoom Apps data access

As part of this access, Zoom Apps may have access to meeting data (such as meeting topics, full participant lists, meeting URLs, and a recording of the meeting) as well as certain user data (such as information about the user’s profile).

During a Zoom meeting, Zoom Apps are limited to only accessing meeting information based on the role of the app user (in other words, whether the app user is the owner of the meeting (the person that owns the meeting), or a participant. For example, some Zoom Apps can only be used by the owner of the meeting if access to meeting data is granted by the owner of the meeting, such as the meeting topic, the full participant list, the meeting URL, and the recording. These Zoom Apps can only be used if the owner of the meeting is present in the meeting. There will be an error message displayed if you try to access this app without the owner of the app being present in the meeting.

It is true that other Zoom applications can also be used without the host‘s presence, but they are limited in what information they can access within a meeting. When a participant opens the Zoom app after joining a meeting without the owner present, the Zoom App will only have access to that participant’s data, such as their display name, when that participant joins the meeting.

There is a Zoom App Notifier that alerts all participants in a meeting when an app accesses meeting content such as audio, video, chat, or meeting files through Zoom, including the Active Apps Notifier, which displays the videos, audio, chats, and meeting files currently in use through the Zoom Web Client and the participants who are using them. Upon clicking on an app, the marketplace page of the app opens in order to provide more information about what the app does and the permissions it has.

Additionally, through the in-meeting security controls, the host of the meeting can immediately suspend all Zoom Apps use in the meeting at any time.

How to require pre-approval of Zoom Apps

For most accounts, pre-approval is required for all Marketplace applications before they can be installed. This page will allow you to decide whether or not you want to require users to pre-approve apps before they can install them, or whether you want to adjust which apps require pre-approval.

1. If you are an account owner or an administrator, you can log in at https://marketplace.zoom.us/ or by going to the link above.
2. When in the Marketplace, click Manage in the top-right corner.
3. On the My Admin Dashboard page, click Permissions to open the permissions page.
4. In the Zoom App Marketplace, you can toggle the Require publicly listed apps to be pre-approved for your users to enable or disable this function.
5. To verify the change, click Turn On when a confirmation dialog box appears.
6. In order to allow publicly listed apps created by Zoom to be installed without admin approval, you can check the Allow publicly listed apps created by Zoom to be installed without administrator approval checkbox.
7. If needed, you can select the option which allows publicly listed apps created by a member of your organization to be installed without admin pre-approval to allow apps designed by members of your organization to be installed without admin pre-approval.

Note: Users on your account will be notified if pre-approval for Zoom Apps is disabled and they will then have access to Zoom Apps with the updated permissions. Version 5.9.6 or higher is required to enable this notification.

How to pre-approve Zoom Apps

The administrators and owners of a company can search for any apps available on the Marketplace and pre-approve them for a specific group of users, individual users, or a combination of the two. When an app is pre-approved, users will receive an email notification on the desktop client of its availability, and the user can then install it from the account or specific groups they have been pre-approved for.

You may need to refer to the Developer guide on OAuth scopes and permissions if you have any additional questions regarding the Zoom App’s permissions and the information you would be granting the Zoom App access to.

Note:

You can request users on your account to install an app that you have not approved in the App Marketplace, if you have not approved the app. In the next few minutes, you will receive an email from noreply@zoom.us with more information.

1. Sign up for a Zoom account at https://marketplace.zoom.us/.
2. Find an app that you would like to use and click on its icon.
3. Click on the Preapprove toggle in the Who can install section of the app.

This app is automatically enabled by default, allowing all users of your account to install it. Alternatively, you may preapprove the application for specific users or groups by clicking on the following link.

1. Make sure that the user or user group is allowed to install this application.
2. You can do this by clicking on Add users.
3. There are a few options you can choose from:

• Add an individual user: To add an individual user to your account, you need to enter the email address of the individual. If you wish to add additional users, you should repeat this process.
• Add a user group: Type the name of the group that you want to add and click the Add button. Then repeat the process for all additional groups you wish to include.

Notes:

• It is possible to grant access to preapproved apps to either individual users or groups of users.
• Pre-approval is received when a Zoom App has already been pre-approved for a group or users, and the group or user will be notified of their pre-approval for the Zoom App.

How to enable Zoom Apps visibility on the desktop client

There can be controls applied at account, group, and user levels on the Zoom Desktop Client for accessing Zoom Apps, as illustrated below, but this will only affect users when they are logged in to your account.

The DisableZoomApps option can be applied to MSI, plist, or GPO deployment, regardless of the account that the desktop client is signed in to. If you require Zoom Apps to be disabled on the desktop client directly, regardless of which account they are signed in to.

Account

All users within the account will be able to use Zoom Apps in the desktop client by enabling the following:

1. If you have the privilege to edit account settings within the Zoom web portal, you will need to sign in as an admin with this privilege.
2. Click Account Management on the left hand side of the screen then select Account Settings.
3. Click the Zoom Apps tab on the left hand side of the screen.
4. The Zoom Apps Quick Launch Button should be enabled on the screen. The Zoom Apps button can be seen on the desktop client for users under your account that have access to your Zoom account.
5. It is necessary to click the toggle to enable this setting if it is disabled. If a verification dialog displays, simply click the button to make sure the setting has been enabled.
6. Click the lock icon to make this setting mandatory for every user in your account if you would like to make it optional for any user in your account. Click the lock icon once again to remove it.

Group

For the purpose of enabling Zoom Apps to be visible in the desktop client for a group of users, please follow these steps:

1. If you are an admin with the privilege to edit groups, sign in to the Zoom web portal with that privilege.
2. You will find the User Management link then the Groups tab under the navigation bar.
3. Then click the Zoom Apps tab after selecting the appropriate group name from the list.
4. Confirm that the Quick Launch button is selected in Zoom Apps. The users in this group are able to access Zoom Apps on their desktop client by clicking the Zoom Apps button.
5. Clicking this toggle will enable Zoom Apps on the desktop client for users in this group. Once the change is confirmed, the user will be returned to the Zoom Apps desktop client.
   Note:There may be instances when the option is grayed out and you are presented with the option to change it at that level.
6. Click the lock icon, and then click Lock to confirm the option. You can make this setting mandatory for all users in your account if you choose to do so.

User

The following instructions will guide you on how to make Zoom Apps visible for your own use through the desktop client:

1. Join the Zoom web portal by logging in.
2. Then click the Settings link in the navigation panel.
3. Next, select Zoom Apps from the drop down menu.
4. If you want to enable the Quick Launch Button for Zoom Apps, select it from the drop down menu. The Zoom Apps button will appear on the desktop client after selecting this option.
5. If the setting is not currently enabled, you can toggle it on by clicking the toggle. A verification dialog will appear, in which you are required to turn the setting on.
   Note: Usually when an option is grayed out, it means it has been blocked at either the account or group level. Please get in touch with your Zoom administrator.