Managing participants in a Zoom meeting

It is your responsibility to manage the participants in a meeting, as the host. All participants in a meeting can share their screen, audio, and video in a meeting by default, but the settings that affect this can be changed going forward.

Using the webinar platform would be an effective way of limiting who is allowed to share their screen, video, and audio. Check out our comparison of meetings and webinars to get a full picture of these options.

Prerequisites for managing participants in a Zoom meeting

• Permissions granted by the host of the meeting, or permissions granted by co-hosts (as determined by the host)
• Access Zoom via the desktop client, mobile app, or web client on specific operating systems*

There are some options that cannot be customized and must be enabled in the web portal, or a specific version of Zoom has to be installed in order to be fully functional. The features include both the ability for participants to record locally, the ability to assign a co-host, the ability to check the status of guests in a meeting, and the ability to use the waiting room.

When you join by web, you will only be able to control a limited amount of things.

Read it also –

Order of participants listed in a Zoom meeting

Participants are listed in the following order on the Participants panel:

1. As you know
2. if you aren’t the host (in the event that you’re not)
3. A phone number without a name
4. (sorted alphabetically) If you’re not the waiting room , the screen will change to the following screen. Please wait until the host (in the event that you’re not)
5. The names of the mute participants (sorted alphabetically)

Features available for managing participants as a host or co-host

In meetings, the hosts and co-hosts have the ability to control the following features:

• Participants who have been muted
• Participants may request that their voices be muted or unmuted (with pre-approved consent)
• Participants may request that their voices be muted or unmuted
• if there is an issue with their voice being muted or unmuted
• Participants should not be allowed to share screens
• if their voice is muted or unmuted
• you can view the status of each invitee’s meeting 
• If waiting room functionality has been disabled, you can place a participant on hold.
• Upon entering the waiting room or exiting it, you can select either a chime or a tone.
• A meeting can be locked at any time so that it cannot be accessed by others.
• A host is responsible for organizing and maintaining the waiting room and admitting/removing participants from it (unless the host permits it), as well as arranging for them to be placed in it.

Hosts are able to take advantage of the following features:

• Participants should be given the option of recording locally if they wish
• in addition to being allowed to co-host events if they wish
• to do so, you may also enable a waiting room if you wish

How to manage participants in a Zoom meeting

Windows | macOS

1. Log in to the Zoom desktop application by using your email address and password.
2. Click on the “Start meeting” button.
3. On the host controls, click the Participants tab and the Participants panel will appear.
4. To separate the Participants panel from the meeting window, click the drop-down menu at the top-left corner of the screen, and then click Pop Out.
   
5. Click More for the following options when you hover your cursor over the participant:

• Request that you be unmuted / unmuted / muted
• CHAT: You can send messages to specific participants directly by opening the chat window.
• Stop Video: The participant’s video stream will be stopped so they will not be able to start it. In the event that the participant has not yet started their video, you will see the option to Ask the participant to begin.
• pin : It is a good idea to pin up your 9 participants’ videos in your home screen so that you can watch them whenever you want to. The other participants are not affected by this.
• Spotlight for Everyone: By using this feature, you are able to project the videos of up to nine participants, so that all of their videos are always visible to all meeting attendees.
• Make Host (only available to the host): Make the participant the host for the event. One host can be selected at the time.
• Make Co-Host / Remove Co-host Permissions(only available to the host): You can assign this participant to be the co-host of the event. There is no limit to how many co-hosts you can have.
• Rename: Renames the name of the participant that will be displayed to other participants. Only the changes that are made will be seen by other participants during the current meeting.
• Note: By hovering over your name in the Participants panel, you will be able to change your own name that will appear. In your profile, you will be able to modify your name permanently.
• Assign to type Closed Caption (only available to the host): You might want to assign the participant some duties during the meeting such as typing closed captions.
• Allow to Record Local Files (only available to the host): Participants will have the option of starting or stopping a local recording of the meeting. It is not possible for participants to start a cloud recording during the meeting.
• Allow to Multi-pin: A participant may permit another participant to use multi-pin mode. By default, a participant may pin only one other participant at a time.
• Put in Waiting Room: While you prepare for the meeting, have the participant wait in a virtual waiting area. To make this feature available, the host needs to enable the waiting room setting.
• Put On Hold: If you do not have the waiting room enabled, you will see an option to put a participant on hold when he or she is not active.
• Remove: Get rid of someone from the meeting by dismissing him or her. If you do not allow participants to rejoin, they will not be able to do so.
• Report: The report feature allows you to alert Zoom’s Trust and Safety team about the behavior of another user. In order to report a problem, the user must be selected and the details of the problem should be provided. Moreover, screenshots may be uploaded as proof of the situation.

There are also options available for you at the bottom of the Participants panel, which you can make use of to enable or disable:

• Invite: Ask other people to come to the meeting with you.
• Mute All: In the current meeting, all participants are muted.

You can click on the (More) button in the bottom-right corner of the panel for Participants for these options:

• Ask All to Unmute: Use a pop-up notification to make mute participants aware that they have the option of becoming mute themselves or continuing to remain mute.
• Mute Participants upon Entry: When new participants join the meeting, they will automatically be muted.
• Allow Participants to Unmute Themselves: Meeting participants have the option to unmute themselves so that they can speak to other members of the meeting.
• Allow Participants to Rename Themselves: When participating, you can change the screen name that others can see on your screen.
• Play sound when someone joins or leaves: The meeting will be interrupted by a sound when a new participant joins or leaves.
• Participants who have not yet joined the meeting: From within this screen, you can see a list of participants who were invited to the meeting but have not yet confirmed their attendance, as well as whether or not they have accepted your invitation (Yes, No, Maybe, No response).
• Play chime when attendees use in-meeting chat or raise their hands: When a participant uses in-meeting chat or raises their hand, play a chime. For this feature to be enabled for your Zoom account, please contact Zoom Support.
• Enable Waiting Room: Make sure that Waiting Room is enabled. You have this option regardless of how you have configured your web portal.
• Lock Meeting: If the meeting is in progress, you will not be allowed to add additional participants.
• Merge to Meeting Window: Click the Participants button to merge that panel into the main meeting window. The Participants panel is only available if you separated the main meeting window from the Participants panel.

Stop participants from sharing their screens with each other

1. You can also access advanced sharing options by clicking the arrow next to Share Screen in the host control panel.
2. You will find this option under the question Who can share? Select Only Host from the drop down menu.
3. Select OK and then click OK again.

Read it also –

Linux

1. Log into the Zoom desktop client by entering your email address and password.
2. Click on the “Start Meeting” button.
3. When you see the Participants panel click on the participants button to open it.
4. Once you have zoomed in on a participant, click More to see the following options:

• Request that a person be unmuted, or muted
• Chat: To send a message directly to a participant, please open the chat window.
• Stop Video: Inhibit the participant’s ability to start their video by stopping their live stream so that they cannot start their video. The option to Ask the participant to Start their video will appear if they have not yet started their video.
• Spotlight Video: The spotlight feature allows you to show the videos of up to nine participants at a time, so that all participants in the meeting can watch their videos.
• Making the participant the host (only available to the host): Assign the participant the role of the host. Each participant is allowed to be the host only.
• Make Co-host / Remove Co-host Permissions (only available to the host): Make the participant a co-host by granting the co-host permission. There is no limit to the number of co-hosts that can be added.
• Rename: A change to a participant’s name that displays to other participants during the meeting. The change will only take effect during the current meeting.
• Note: By hovering over your name in the Participants panel and clicking Rename, you can change your name that is displayed. Your name can be changed permanently within your profile by clicking Edit under the Name field.
• Assign to type Closed Caption (only available to the host):The participant should be assigned to type the closed captions during the meeting.
• Allow to Record Local Files (only available to the host): Participants should have the ability to start and stop recording local files during the meeting. It is not possible for participants to start a cloud recording during the meeting.
• Put in Waiting Room: The participant should be placed in an online waiting room while the meeting is being prepared. This option has to be enabled by the host for it to be available to the participant.
• Put On Hold: In order to remove the participant from the audio and video conference, place them on hold. In order for the Allow host to put participants on hold option to be enabled before the meeting can begin, it must be checked beforehand.
• Remove: Rejecting one or more participants from the meeting. If you do not allow participants to rejoin, then they will not be able to join.
• Report: Zoom’s Trust and Safety team is available for you to report an intruder. The problem will be reported to the appropriate user and you will have the possibility to provide a description of the issue. It will be possible for you to also upload an image in support of your claim.

There are also options available for you at the bottom of the Participants panel, which you can make use of to enable or disable:

• Invite: Make sure other people are invited to participate in the meeting.
• Mute All / Unmute All: If you want to silence or unmute all participants in the meeting, do so now.

On the Participants panel, click (More) in the bottom-right corner for the following options:

• Ask All to Unmute: A pop-up notification is displayed in a way that all muted players can choose whether they want to unmute themselves or continue to be muted.
• Mute Participants upon Entry: Automatically mutes participants upon their entry into the meeting.
• Allow Participants to Unmute Themselves: Those who want to talk to others in the meeting can unmute themselves if they wish to do so.
• Allow Participants to Rename Themselves: The screen name that appears to the other participants can be modified by the participants.
• Play sound when someone joins or leaves: When someone joins or leaves the meeting, a sound will be played.
• Display Participants Who Have Not Joined: This feature allows you to see the names of participants who were invited to the meeting but have not yet arrived. You will also view the status of their response to the meeting invitation (Accepted, Declined, Maybe, No response).
• Play Chime for Chat Messages/Raise Hand: It is a good idea to play a sound each time someone raises their hand or uses the in-meeting chat. This feature can be enabled for your Zoom account by contacting Zoom Support.
• Enable Waiting Room: This option will then be available to you. It does not matter what settings you have in the web portal, this option will be available to you.
• Lock meeting: This option allows you to block other participants from joining a meeting while it is in progress.
• Merge to meeting window: When the Participants panel is merged into the main meeting window, you can access both panels. It is only possible to use this option if the Participants panel and the main meeting window have been separated.

Prevent participants from screen sharing

1. You can also access advanced sharing options by clicking the arrow next to Share Screen in the host control panel.
2. You will find this option under the question Who can share? Just select the Host option.
3. Just hit the Close button.

Read it also –

Chrome OS

1. Access the Zoom Chrome OS client by signing in with your Zoom account.
2. From there, you can start a meeting.
3. To show the Participants panel, select the Participants control in the host controls.
4. It is possible to close the Participants panel at the top-left corner, or to pop out the Participants panel so it separates from the meeting window by clicking the menu at the top-left corner:
   
5. To access the following options, hover over a participant and click More:

• You can ask to be unmuted / unmuted / muted
• Chat: In the chat window, you can send a direct message to the panelist.
• Stop Video: you can prevent a participant from starting a video by stopping his or her video stream. Whenever you come across the option Has the participant started their video yet?, then you will see a list of options to ask about.
• Make Host (only available to the host): This participant will be assigned to the role of the host. Only one host can be assigned to a session.
• Make Co-Host (only available to the host): Select the co-host from the list of participants. Ultimately, you can have as many co-hosts as you like.
• Allow Record (only available to the host): Organizers can allow their participants to start or stop a local recording of their meetings. This does not apply to cloud recordings, which cannot be started by participants.
• Assign to type Closed Caption (only available to the host): Assign the participant to type the closed caption during the meeting.
• Put in Waiting Room: As you prepare for the meeting, put the participant into a virtual waiting room to ensure that the meeting will go well. In order for this feature to appear, it is the host’s responsibility to enable the waiting room.
• Rename: You can change what the name of the participant is that other attendees will see. However, you can only do this for the current meeting.
• Note : Hover over your own name in the Participants panel and click the Rename link to change your own name that will be displayed. The name you choose will be displayed in your profile permanently.
• Remove: It is possible to remove someone from a meeting. If you do not allow participants to rejoin, they will not be able to do so.

In addition to having access to these options, you can also choose to enable or disable them by clicking on the (More) link under the Participants panel.

• Invite: Make sure others know about the meeting and invite them to The user can select whether all participants should be muted or unmuted.cipants currently in the meeting.
• Ask All to Unmute: All muted participants will be given the option of unsmuting themselves or staying muted through a pop-up notification.
• Mute participants on entry: As participants join the meeting, they will be muted automatically.
• Allow participants to unmute themselves: In case a participant wishes to speak to another participant in the meeting, he or she can unmute themselves.
• Allow participants to rename themselves: Participants will be able to rename their screen name in order to appear to others.
• Enable Waiting Room: Added or moving current participants into the Waiting Room is an option that enables the waiting room for incoming new participants.
• Lock meeting: Ensure that access to the meeting is restricted while it is ongoing.
• Merge to meeting window: This will merge both the Participants window and the main meeting window together. It is only possible to use this option if your participants panel is separated from your meeting window main window.

Prevent participants from screen sharing

1. You can also access advanced sharing options by clicking the arrow next to Share Screen in the host control panel.
2. You will find this option under the question Who can share? Just select the Host option.
3. Just hit the Close button.

Web

There is limited functionality in managing participants when you are using the web client, which allows you to join using the web client only.

1. If you click on the Participants control in the host controls, a list of participants will be displayed.
2. Click More when hovering over any participant for the following options:

• You can ask to unmute / unmute / mutes
• If you wish to communicate directly with a panelist, you may open the chat window.
• Stop Video: In the event that the participant’s video stream has been stopped, they will not be able to begin their video. You will see the Ask to Start Video option if the participant has not yet started their video.
• Spotlight for Everyone: Using this feature, you can highlight up to nine participants’ videos, so that all participants in the meeting will be able to see their videos.
• Allow to Multi-pin: Allows one or more participants to use the multi-pin function. Participants can pin multiple participants by default but can pin only one at a time.
• Make Host (only available to the host): Give the participant the responsibility of being the host. Only a single host can take part.
• Make Co-Host (only available to the host): You may assign the participant to be one of the co-hosts. It is possible to have as many co-hosts as you want.
• Assign to type Closed Caption (only available to the host): Give the participant the responsibility of typing closed caption during the meeting.
• Rename: If necessary, modify the participant’s name as it appears on the meeting screen. Only the current session will be affected by this modification.
• Note : Hovering over your name in the Participants panel, you will see the option Rename, which you can click in order to change your name. Your name can be permanently changed in your profile if you wish.
• Put in Waiting Room: During the time where you are preparing for the meeting, you can place the participant in a virtual waiting room. The waiting room option will only appear if the meeting host has enabled the waiting room.
• Remove: A participant may be dismissed from the meeting at any point during it. If you do not allow participants to rejoin, they will not be able to join the discussion.
• Report: Reporting a user to Zoom’s Trust and Safety team provides you with the option to report the user’s behavior. During the reporting process, you will have the ability to select which user to report and provide details about what the problem is. There is also the option to attach evidence to your report, such as screenshots.

There are also options available for you at the bottom of the Participants panel, which you can make use of to enable or disable:

• Invite: Let the other people in the meeting know that they are welcome to attend.
• Mute All / Unmute All: Make all participants in the meeting publically audible or unaudible by using the mute / unmute buttons.
• More
  • Ask All to Unmute: Display the option of unmuting themselves or remaining muted to all participants who have been muted with a pop-up notification.
  • Mute participants on entry: As participants enter the meeting, they are automatically muted.
  • Allow participants to unmute themselves: It is possible for participants to turn off their mute button if they wish to speak to others in the meeting.
  • Allow participants to rename themselves: All participants are able to change their screen name that is displayed to others in the meeting.
  • Lock meeting: The meeting will be locked to prevent additional participants from entering.

iOS

1. Connect to the Zoom mobile app by signing in with your Zoom account.
2. You can then start a meeting.
3. When you tap on the Participants icon in the controls, the Participants panel will appear.
4. When you tap a participant’s name, you will see the following options for managing a specific participant:
   • Request to have this participant unmuted /  Mute
   • Stop Video: The video stream of the participant is stopped so the participant cannot start the video. When a participant has not started their video, you will see an option titled Ask to Start Video if they have not yet started their video.
   • Chat: In order to communicate directly with the participant, you should open the chat window.
   • Spotlight for Everyone: The spotlight feature allows you to show the videos of up to nine participants so that all participants can see their videos whenever they attend the meeting.
   • Make Host (only available to the host): Select the participant from the group to be the host. You have to choose one person from the group to be the host.
   • Make Co-Host (only available to the host): Instruct the participant to partner with you in coordinating the event. There is no restriction on how many co-hosts you can have.
   • Rename: Changing the participant name associated with your account that is displayed to other participants is also possible. However, this change is only applicable to the current meeting.
   • Note: In the Participants panel, hover your cursor over your own name and click Rename to change the name that is displayed. The name that you display in your profile can be permanently changed here.
   • Assign to Type Closed Captions (only available to the host): If you need closed captions typed during the meeting, assign the participant to the task.
   • Allow to Record Local Files (only available to the host): Participants can start or stop recording of local files at any time during the meeting. However, they will not have access to start a cloud recording during the meeting.
   • Allow to Multi-pin: The multi-pin feature allows a second participant to participate. This feature is defaulted to allowing only one participant to be pinned at a time.
   • Put in Waiting Room: During the meeting preparations, participants can be parked in a virtual waiting room while you prepare the presentation. The waiting room option will only appear if the host has enabled it.
   • Remove: The host may dismiss one or more participants from the meeting.

When you check the participants window, the following options will be available to you:

• Invite: Make sure that others are invited to join the meeting.
• Tap for these options:
  • Mute All: The meeting will be muted while this option is selected.
  • Ask All to Unmute: You are able to display a pop-up notification to everyone who is muted offering the option for unmuting themselves or to stay muted.

Tap More and then Meeting Settings in the host control panel to mute participants upon entry, make the join and leave sound, or show participants’ names when they join the meeting.

When the meeting is locked, people cannot share their screens, or the meeting is put into a waiting room when they enter, they can go to the host controls by tapping More and Security. Click here for more information on security during meetings.

Android

1. Open the Zoom app on your mobile device and sign in to it.
2. Click on the “Start Meeting” button.
3. The Participants panel will appear once you tap “Participants” on the host controls.
4. By tapping a specific participant’s name, you will be able to make changes to that participant.

• Make sure you request that you are unmuted / muted
• Stop Video: Suddenly shut down the participant’s video stream, making it impossible for the participant to begin a video at all. You will be able to see the option to Ask the participant to Start the Video if they have not started their video yet.
• Chat: This allows you to communicate directly with the participant through a chat window.
• Spotlight Video: During a meeting, you can highlight up to nine participants’ videos, so that they are always clearly visible to all attendees.
• Make Host (only available to the host): You will have to assign the host to the participant. Only one host may be assigned per participant.
• Make Co-Host (only available to the host): This will allow the participant to participate in the meeting as a co-host. You can have as many co-hosts as you would like.
• Rename: If you wish to change the name of the participant that is shown to other participants, then this is possible. The change can only be made for the meeting that is currently in progress at this time.
• Note : In the Participants panel, hover over your name and click the Rename button if you want your name to appear differently. Your name can be changed permanently in your profile by clicking the Edit button.
• Assign to Type Closed Captions (only available to the host): if you want the participant to type closed captions during the meeting, you can assign them this task.
• Allow to Record Local Files (only available to the host): Gives the participants the option of starting and stopping the recording of the meeting locally. The participants do not have the option of starting the meeting recording on the cloud.
• Allow to Multi-pin: This feature allows a group of participants to use the multi-pin feature. It is by default, only one participant can be pinned at the same time.
• Put in Waiting Room: While you prepare for the meeting, a virtual waiting room will be set up for everyone to wait. In order for this feature to be available, it must be enabled by the host. Click here for more information.
• Remove: If someone is no longer attending, they should be discharged from the meeting.

There will be a few options available to you at the bottom of the participants window, such as:

• Invite: Make sure everyone is invited to the meeting.
• Mute All: During the meeting, all participants should be muted.
• Tap for these options:
  • Ask All to Unmute:
  • A pop-up notification will be displayed to all muted participants informing them of the option of unmuting themselves or staying muted.

Tap More and then Meeting Settings in the host control panel to mute participants upon entry, make the join and leave sound, or show participants’ names when they join the meeting.

When the meeting is locked, people cannot share their screens, or the meeting is put into a waiting room when they enter, they can go to the host controls by tapping More and Security. Click here for more information on security during meetings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you organize participants in zoom?

Related Articles