As we look towards the holidays and hopefully some time to unplug, we wanted to update you with the newest Zoom releases so that you and your team are equipped to continue the great work you’re doing on Zoom in the new year. For a complete list of new releases, check out the December 20 and December 21 Release Notes. In order to access these latest features and more, be sure to download the most up-to-date version of Zoom.

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New Updates to Web

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New and Enhanced Features
 

Administrator Features
 

• Enhancements to meeting security settings and authentication profiles. Read more about these enhancements in the December 20 Release Notes.

• Enable on-demand recording at account, group, or user level. This setting is set as disabled as default and can be locked at the account or group level.

• Enable or disable cloud recording sharing. When enabled, a sharing link will be generated and users with viewing permissions can access the recording through the link. This setting is available at the account, group, or user level and can be locked at the account or group level.

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User Features

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• For cloud recordings, poll results can now be displayed, filenames can be customized, and additional metrics in CSV export. Read more about these enhancements in the December 20 Release Notes.

• Convert a webinar to a meeting from the Webinars page in the web portal.

• Create a customizable disclaimer for webinar registration forms that will appear at the bottom of the registration page

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Web Client
 

• Support for polling, Active Speaker & Gallery Speaker view, and live transcription. More details about newly supported features in the web client are available in the December 20 Release Notes.

• As added security measures, the web client has enhanced in-meeting user abuse reporting and gives meeting hosts the ability to suspend all participant activity if necessary. “Suspend participant activity” is accessible in the Security panel.

• Hosts and co-hosts can invite participants to their meetings using the Zoom contacts directory.

• Participants can claim host using the host key.

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New Updates to Client

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New and Enhanced Features

Meeting & Enhanced Features:

 

• Enhanced nonverbal feedback and reactions: Nonverbal feedback options are moved to the Reactions button, and all reactions will be shown in the corner of the participants’ video. The host will see each participant’s reactions in the participant list, as well as the aggregate numbers of each reaction at the bottom of the list.

• Raised hands for host and co-host: Hosts & co-hosts now have access to this feature along with meeting participants and webinar attendees.

• Poll reports available during live session: Full poll results can now be downloaded while the meeting/webinar is still in session. The download will launch in browser.

• Removal of inappropriate chat messages: Meeting hosts and co-hosts can remove inappropriate chat messages from meetings and webinars, while participants can delete their own messages. This can be enabled or disabled through the settings on the web portal.

 

Meetings Features:

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• Improved grouping of security options when scheduling: The “Only authenticated users can join” option is now located in the Security section of the scheduling window, grouping it with Passcode and Waiting Room options to allow for easier selection and use of security features. This release is also available for the GSuite add-on and Outlook plugin.

 

In addition to these releases, you now also have the ability to convert an existing Zoom meeting to an OnZoom event, Zoom’s new online event platform. For more information on converting your meetings to OnZoom, please read this support article.

 

Should you have any questions about the newest releases to the Zoom platform, I’ll be happy to answer them for you..

 

Happy holidays and happy Zooming,  

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Nelson Kwok

Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

Below I’ve highlighted the latest releases to come to the Zoom platform over the last two weeks. For more details on the newest features and enhancements, please refer to the November 8 and November 16 release notes, as well as a new post on Zoom’s blog covering everything new with Zoom Rooms. To access these features, download the latest version of Zoom.

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We previously communicated that we are releasing a new feature in November that, when enabled, ensures that all meetings have at least one of the following applied: Passcode, Waiting Room, ‘Only authenticated users can join.’ This feature will be defaulted to ‘off’, although we highly recommend you enable it, but you can do so at your discretion. We wanted to let you know that we will now introduce this enhancement in December. Stay tuned for more details.

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New Updates to Zoom Client

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New and Enhanced Features

 

Meeting/Webinar Features
 

• Live Transcription: Hosts can enable live transcriptions (English only) for their meeting or webinar. Captions can be seen in the subtitle view and the transcript itself can be accessed through the sidebar. This feature is only available for Pro, Biz and Enterprise accounts with plans for EDU availability in the coming months. The default value is OFF and requires the account admin to enable the feature for their account.

• Share multiple programs at once: Users can select multiple desktop programs at once for sharing, instead of sharing their 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 an extensible green border. The user employing this feature will need to be on version 5.4.3; viewers can be connected with older versions.

• Enhanced gallery view for iPad.

• Increased support for Virtual Background on Android.

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Meeting Features

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• Suspend participant activity: New option in the Security panel to immediately suspend all participant activities, which will mute all video and audio, stop screen sharing, end all breakout rooms, and pause recording.

• Enhanced in-meeting user abuse reporting.

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Chat Features  
 

• Pin chat messages: Users can pin a message in the channel which will then appear at the top of the channel. Pins can be moved, replaced, or hidden. A log of pinned messages is accessible in the channel options panel.

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Phone Features

 

• Enhancements to History and Voicemail tabs: UI enhancements to better indicate the location, caller ID, and whether it’s a spam call. Call history entries with a location but no caller ID will indicate the phone number on the first row and location on the second row. Previously, the location was on the first row for these call history entries.

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Changes to Existing Features

 

• Non-video meeting interface will appear the same as a video meeting with video off: Meetings scheduled with video off will now just show profile pictures or names rather than the plain screen with meeting information and options.

 

New Updates to Web

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New and Enhanced Features

Features for Administrators:

 

• Setting for participants invited by the host or co-host to bypass the Waiting Room: Account owners and admins can enable a setting for participants invited by the host or co-host to bypass the Waiting Room. This setting is available at the account, group, and user level and can be locked at the account or group level. This setting is turned off by default. This requires client/app version 5.4.0 or higher.

• Zoom Rooms support for video Virtual Background with green screen: Account owners and admins can enable video Virtual Background with green screen for Zoom Rooms. This requires Zoom Rooms version 5.3.0, which is planned for release in November 2020.

• Virtual receptionist / kiosk mode for Zoom Rooms: Account owners and admins can enable kiosk mode for specific Zoom Rooms, allowing visitors to easily connect to a virtual receptionist. This requires Zoom Rooms version 5.3.0, which is planned for release in November 2020. This feature is in beta and needs to be enabled by Zoom.

 

Features for Users:

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• Improved security notifications: Users will receive confirmation emails after certain actions are taken, i.e. password change, phone number updates, host key change.

 

In addition to these releases, click here to read our recent 2020 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Meeting Solutions and 2020 Gartner Magic Quadrant for UCaaS Worldwide report.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions about any of the above features.

 

Happy Zooming, 

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Nelson Kwok

Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

New Updates to Zoom Client

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New and Enhanced Features

 

General Features
 

• Sync sub-folders in cloud contacts: When syncing contacts from Office 365, sub-folders will now be synced in addition to the main contacts folder.

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Meeting/Webinar Features

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• Support for live streaming on YouTube on mobile: For Android and iOS users, hosts can live stream their meetings and webinars through the YouTube mobile app.

• Virtual Background support for additional CPUs: For Windows users, Virtual Backgrounds are now supported for i3 5th-gen and above, i5/i7/i9 3rd-gen and above, all including Y-series. These CPUs will support Virtual Backgrounds at 15fps and 360p.

• Scheduling with custom Join Before Host time limit: Users can schedule meetings with Join Before Host set to allow participants to join 5, 10, or 15 minutes before the scheduled start time.

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Meeting Features  
 

• End-to-End (E2E) Encryption: E2E Encryption for meetings is now available in technical preview. Account owners and admins can enable E2E Encryption for meetings, providing additional protection when needed. Enabling E2E Encryption for meetings requires all meeting participants to join from the Zoom Desktop Client, mobile app, or Zoom Rooms. Users will not be able to join by telephone, SIP/H.323 devices, on-premise configurations, or Lync/Skype clients, as these endpoints cannot be encrypted end-to-end. Zoom Web Client and third-party clients leveraging the Zoom SDK are also not supported at launch. Enabling this setting also disables the following features: join before host, cloud recording, streaming, live transcription, Breakout Rooms, polling, and meeting reactions. This setting is enabled in the Zoom web portal at the account, group, and user level and can be locked at the account or group level.

• Additional share options with Proximity Share for Zoom Rooms: For Windows, macOS, and Linux users, Proximity Share now supports sharing specific apps, share computer audio, and optimize for full screen video.

• Change ringtone for meeting invites and phone calls

• Improved experience for saving annotations on mobile for Android and iOS users

• Improved pre-assigned Breakout Room behavior

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Chat Features

 

• Search in channel option added to channel info panel for mobile for Android and iOS users

• Search starred messages for Windows, macOS, and Linux users

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Phone Features

 

• Bootstrap mode for nomadic emergency services: If bootstrap mode is enabled by an account owner or admin, phone users can report their current locations as company locations and/or report underlying network data for existing company locations. User-reported location and network data must be approved by administrators before it becomes actively part of defined company locations. These operations will send email notifications to admins (at most one email per day).

• Call notifications for busy call queue members: If enabled, call queue members can receive call queue calls when they are busy on a call.

• Opt out of specific call queues: Users who are members of multiple call queues can opt out of specific call queues to disable call notifications from those call queues.

Please let me know if you have any questions about any of the above features.

 

Happy Zooming, 

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Nelson Kwok

Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

Below I've summarized the latest round of features and enhancements to Zoom’s Web Portal and Zoom Phone. Note that the list below is not inclusive of all releases made this week; for more information on all updates, please reference our Release Notes. To access these features, download the latest version of Zoom.

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New Updates to Web

Changes to Existing Features

• Users joining by phone will be placed in the Waiting Room when "only authenticated users can join meetings" and Waiting Rooms are enabled.

• The "only authenticated users can join meetings" setting is now always available when scheduling.
   

New and Enhanced Features

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For Administrators: 

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• Show Breakout Room data on Dashboard

• Export detailed meeting reports from Dashboard

• All recurring meetings listed in Upcoming Events Report

• Customize disclaimers for signing into Zoom and starting or joining meetings

• Setting for sharing audio messages in chat

• Phone user templates

• Hide outbound caller ID by default

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For Users:  
 

• Recover deleted webinars

• Import webinar panelists by CSV

• Configure when "Join Before Host" is available

• Hide recording transcript when sharing

• Edit speaker name in transcripts

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New Updates to Zoom Phone

New and Enhanced Features

 

• Supported devices: The Poly Trio C60 conference phone is supported. Account owners and admins can add this phone to the Zoom web portal as part of the provisioning process.

• Support for autoprovisioning of Poly D230: The Poly D230 will automatically configure itself out of the box using Polycom Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) after being added to the Zoom web portal.

• New supported features for AudioCodes: AudioCodes 450HD and 445HD support multiple line keys, call delegation, speed dial, and busy lamp field (BLF). The AudioCodes 450HD also supports provision templates.

• Firmware upgrades: Upgrades are available for Poly Trio, all Poly VVX series, and all Yealink devices. Devices will automatically reboot to upgrade firmware.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

Best, 

 

Nelson Kwok

Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

Below I've outlined the latest round of features and enhancements to Zoom’s Web Portal and Zoom Rooms. For more information on these updates, please reference our Release Notes. To access these features, download the latest version of Zoom.

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New Updates to Web

Changes to Existing Features

• Updated Settings for New Accounts: All new accounts created on or after September 27 will have the Passcode settings for Personal Meeting ID (PMI), Personal Audio Conference (PAC), phone dial-in users, and Zoom Room Meeting ID enabled by default.

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New Updates to Zoom Rooms
 

New and Enhanced Features

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In-Meeting Features: 

 

Appliances:

• Virtual background support on DTEN Me devices must be on 1.1 firmware

• Video preview

• View in-meeting chat on Zoom Rooms Touch devices

• Join breakout rooms using the Zoom Rooms Controller on non-touch Zoom Rooms Appliances (support for more Zoom Rooms OS coming soon)

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Management Features:  

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Appliances:

• Italian language support

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Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

Best, 

 

Christtian Pinto

Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

I’m excited to announce the latest round of features and enhancements to Zoom’s Desktop Client. For more information on these changes and other additions, please reference our Release Notes. To access these features, we highly encourage you to update to the latest version of Zoom.

I also wanted to remind you (if you haven’t already) to register for Zoomtopia, our annual user conference happening virtually from October 14-15,2020. Registration for the event is complimentary, but space is limited. To register, please visit https://www.zoomtopia.com/. We hope you’ll be able to join us as we celebrate our customers (you!) and all they have accomplished this year.

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New Updates to Client

 

General Features 

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• Enhanced scheduling with default settings: Scheduling a new meeting will always check the user’s web settings and use those as the default. Any changes from the default will be saved for that meeting only.

• Studio Effects: Users can now apply eyebrows, mustache and beard, and lip color filters as part of their video appearance. This feature is currently in beta and can be accessed from your backgrounds and filters tab.

 

Meeting/Webinar Features

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• Roll-Up Closed Captioning: Closed captioning will now roll up as new captions are added. Users can also move through captioning by dragging the text.

• Virtual Background not compatible explanation: When you are unable to use the virtual background feature, the desktop client will provide clarification; for example, the i7-5500U processor is not currently compatible with this feature.

• Self-Select Breakout Rooms: The host can now 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 the host’s help. Both the meeting host and participants need to be on Client 5.3.0 or later to self-select Breakout Rooms.

 

Chat Features

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• Enhanced Search: Desktop users can filter by order, sent by, and date filters for file search. Mobile users can filter by order for file search. All image search results will display as thumbnail previews. Channel and contact results will also be split into their own categories. Users can also clear the list of recent searches.

• Mark as Unread for images and files: Transferred files and images can be marked as unread separately from the message.

 

Chrome Update

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• Version 5.0.0 (4183.0920) has been released on the web store, with CPU optimizations for low performance devices. It’s recommended that all users and admins download and install this version. For more information, visit our blog.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

Best, 

 

Christtian Pinto

Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

I’m excited to announce the latest round of features and enhancements to Zoom’s Desktop Client and Web Portal. For more information on these changes and other additions, please reference our Release Notes. To access these features, we highly encourage you to update to our latest version of Zoom. I hope that you’ll leverage these features and enhancements as you continue to achieve your goals through Zoom.

New Updates to Client 

Meetings and Webinars

 

• Multi-pin and Multi-spotlight: With host permission, users can pin up to 9 participants on their end. The host can also spotlight up to 9 participants for everyone in their meeting.

• Custom Gallery View Organization: Hosts and co-hosts can now re-order the gallery view to suit their needs, and choose whether to deploy this view to participants, or allow participants to create their own custom views. Simply click and drag videos to the position you want them in gallery view, and this layout will remain in place until released.

• High Fidelity Audio Mode: This option in Advanced Audio enhances “Original Audio” mode, allowing for disabling echo cancellation & post-processing, while raising audio codec quality to 48Khz, 96Kbps mono/192kbps stereo for professional audio transmission in music education and performance applications. Professional audio interface, microphone, and headphones are required.

• Custom Languages for Language Interpretation: Custom languages are now supported, in addition to the default languages that are already provided. Custom languages must be configured on the Web portal by the host. Interpreters and participants accessing the custom languages will need to be on client 5.2.1 or later to use this feature.

 

Webinars

 

• Phone Audio Options for Webinar Attendees: Webinar attendees can now access Phone Call and Call Me options for audio, in addition to the Computer Audio option. An admin must enable the premium Call-Out feature on the Web portal, which requires the Audio Conferencing add-on.

 

New Updates to Web

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• Manage External Contacts: Account owners and admins can now view external contacts associated with their account, as well as their account’s channels that these external contacts are a part of. This can be accessed within the Zoom web portal, under User Management, then Users. The External Contacts column will show the number of external contacts each user has and they can view details about the external contacts, including their name, email addresses, added date and channels they are a part of, by clicking on this value. The account owner and admins can also remove the external contact completely from their account.

 

I also wanted to take a moment to remind you of an important change coming to your Zoom account. As you may have heard, starting September 27th, Zoom will require that all meetings have a Passcode or a Waiting Room enabled for paid accounts. Our Support Page has a comprehensive FAQ document to provide you with more information. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

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Christtian Pinto
Zoom Video Communications, Inc.