Many exciting and useful features were released to the Zoom platform over the course of the last month. We have selected and summarized a few of those essential releases below. Please respond to this email if you have any questions about the releases and updates described below. Don’t forget to download the latest version of the Zoom client so that you’ll have access to all of these features and more. 

 

 

Key Highlights from Zoom’s November Releases 
 

Updates to Zoom Web Portal

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New and Enhanced Features

User Features  
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• Enhancements to Trust and Safety form: Users can now report instances of fraud or account takeover to Zoom’s Trust & Safety team. Submit Trust & Safety reports at ​​https://zoom.us/trust-form.  

Admin Features

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• Two-way chat with Waiting Room participants: Account owners and admins can enable meeting hosts and co-hosts to chat back and forth with participants in the Waiting Room. Messages can be sent to all participants in the Waiting Room or just individual participants, and only the host/co-host can see responses. This feature requires client version 5.8.0 (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS) or higher and must be enabled in Waiting Room web settings. Two-way chat has also been released to Zoom for Chrome’s Progressive Web App (PWA).
   

Updates to the Zoom Zoom Phone

 

New and Enhanced Features

Device Features 
 

• Certified Yealink devices: Zoom Phone now supports the following Yealink devices:

  • W70B DECT base station 

  • W73H DECT handset 

  • EXP43 expansion module

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Changes to Existing Features
 

• Configuration checking for emergency locations: When an account owner or admin specifies basic service set identifiers (BSSID) while defining or editing an emergency location, the system will confirm whether that the BSSID has been duplicated in another location in the account.

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​Updates to the Zoom Zoom Events 

 

New and Enhanced Features

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Conferences: Zoom Events introduced Conferences to its solution in late October, enabling license holders to host concurrent sessions for their virtual or hybrid events. Read our support article on conferences to learn how to get started.

Happy Zooming,  

​

Nelson Kwok

Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

September was a particularly exciting month here at Zoom. In addition to the many new features released to the platform, our annual user conference, Zoomtopia, convened virtually on September 13 & 14. The two-day event facilitated discussions around some of Zoom’s most unique use cases and gave users a glimpse of what’s to come at Zoom over the next year. 

 

In this email, I’ll highlight: 

• Key takeaways from Zoomtopia;

• Essential features from September releases;

• A reminder about a new Zoom policy effective November 1.

 

 

Key Takeaways from Zoomtopia 2021
 

Held on Zoom Events, Zoomtopia unveiled innovative features and products to come to the platform over the next year. Some of these highlights include: 

• Zoom Video Engagement Center (VEC), which will connect experts with your customers on video to create engaging experiences in a structured and immersive virtual environment;

• Zoom Whiteboard, which aims to serve as a digital canvas to best enable collaboration, where meeting participants will have the ability to interact with the whiteboard similar to an in-person experience;

• Enhanced Platform Security, where customers can provision and manage their own encryption keys through our Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) program; initial beta launch is planned for later this year. Other planned security features include bringing end-to-end encryption to Zoom Phone. 
   

More details about Zoom’s planned innovations announced at Zoomtopia can be found on the Zoom blog, our highlight reel, and in this press release. 

Key Highlights from Zoom’s September Releases
 

Updates to the Zoom Web Portal

 

New and Enhanced Features

 

Admin Features

• Education institution status reporting: Admins and owners of education accounts using Zoom products to provide educational services to children under 18 can now self-identify using the Children’s Education Status setting. This process may include new consent notifications for existing users. Education customers should have received additional communications on required actions; contact your CSM if you have further questions.
   

User Features 
 

• Enhancements to Trust and Safety form: Enhancements have been made to the Trust and Safety form so that users can either submit a law enforcement request or report abuse to Zoom’s Trust and Safety team. Additionally, users can now report instances of abuse that may have taken place outside of a Zoom meeting, webinar, or event setting. For example, users can report if their account was taken over or if they have been victims of fraud or impersonation on Zoom. You can file a Trust and Safety report at https://www.zoom.us/trust-form.

• Poll access for alternative hosts: If a meeting host adds alternative hosts to their meeting, they can enable a setting to allow alternative hosts to add or edit polls. This feature requires client version 5.8.0 or higher. This feature is also available via Zoom’s Desktop Client on Windows, macOS, Linux, and iOS.

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Changes to Existing Features
 

• Enhancements to Trust & Safety and Security communications settings: Admins and custom roles with the Account Settings privilege can view and edit the email recipients that receive Trust & Safety and Security communications from Zoom. Previously, only account owners were able to view and edit these settings.

• Enhancements to Account Ownership Transfer Process: Current account owners have seven days, an increase from the previous 3-day period, to respond to an email to transfer account ownership to an admin. If the owner does not respond to any emails within seven days, the admin will automatically become the account owner. 
   

​Updates to the Zoom Desktop Client 

 

Meeting Features
 

• Security settings overview for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS: The host and co-host in a meeting can check what security features are currently in use for the meeting they are hosting. (Co-)hosts can find in-meeting security features by clicking on the in-meeting encryption shield located in the top-left corner of the meeting.

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Phone Features
 

• Prompt for emergency address for Windows macOS, Linxus, Android, and iOS: If the admin has enabled nomadic emergency services and personal locations or allowed users to manage their emergency address, users will receive prompts to confirm or update their emergency addresses until they do so.

• Privacy feature for shared lines for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS: If enabled by an account owner and admin, shared line group and shared line appearance members can lock their current call, preventing others from picking up a held call.

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Important Reminder: 9-Month Release Window
 

​Beginning November 1, 2021, customers will be required to update their Zoom software to ensure it is no more than nine months behind the current version at any given time. From that point on, users will be prompted to update their software if their version falls behind this nine-month window. To prepare for the new schedule, we recommend customers update to the latest release supported by their organization or software version 5.5.0 at minimum before November 1 to avoid any service disruption. 

You can read more about Zoom’s 9-month release window in our support article  and download the latest version of Zoom from the Download Center.

Happy Zooming,  

​

Nelson Kwok

Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

July was a particularly packed release month for Zoom. In addition to many new and enhanced features released to the platform, we also announced the launch of Zoom Apps and Zoom Events. While I’ll be covering other topics in this email today, head over to the Zoom Blog to learn more about both Zoom Apps and Zoom Events. For more information on all other July releases, be sure to check out our Release Notes in Zoom’s Help Center. Don’t forget to download the latest version of Zoom to access these features and more. If you have any questions pertaining to the releases highlighted below, feel free to reach out. 

Key Highlights from Zoom’s May Releases

Updates to Zoom Web Portal 

 

New and Enhanced Features
 

User Features 
 

• Expiration time for reports made to Zoom Trust & Safety: After submitting a Trust & Safety report to Zoom via the desktop client, users will have seven days to confirm the submission of the report in the web portal. Reports that are not confirmed within seven days will expire. Reports can be made at https://zoom.us/account/report/reportedparticipants. Reports can only be made in English at this time.

Administrator Features

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• Email recipients for Zoom Trust & Safety and Security communications: Account owners can now assign users (individual or group aliases) to receive email communications from Zoom’s Trust & Safety and Security teams. This field can be used to add internal secruity team members that would like to receive communications about security updates. Owners can add users by navigating to Admin > Account Settings > Email Notification in the web portal. By default, account owners and admins are selected to receive communications, but admins can be deselected from the list. Account owners will always receive the communications. I recommend taking a moment to add email recipients for these communications if needed.  

• Control access to webinar chat: Account owners and admins can enable or disable webinar chat at the account, group, user, or webinar level. When scheduling a webinar, users can enable or disable webinar chat if it was not locked. Previously, webinar chat could only be controlled using the in-meeting chat setting. To enable this feature, contact me or Zoom Support at support@zoom.us.

• Post-meeting survey: Account owners and admins can allow users to create surveys to launch at the end of a meeting. This setting can be enabled or disabled at the account, group, or user level, and can be locked at the account or group level. This feature is also available for end users and was released to the Zoom Desktop Client as well.

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Changes to Existing Features
 

• Mute/turn off video for participants joining a meeting in progress: Participants joining a meeting while it is being recorded or live streamed will join with their microphone muted and video off until the participants consents to being recorded. After consenting, settings will revert back to the default for that user or meeting. To enable this feature, contact me or Zoom Support at support@zoom.us. Note - this feature was also released to the Zoom Desktop Client, but in the Desktop Client version the participant microphone and video will only turn on if allowed by the host.

• Email salutation changes for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean names: Meeting and webinar confirmation emails will now address Chinese, Japanese, and Korean names by Last Name, First Name instead of First Name, Last Name. 

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Updates to Zoom Desktop Client

 

New and Enhanced Features

 

Meeting/Webinar Features
 

• Nonverbal feedback enhancement - Coffee cup for Windows, macOS, and Linux: The Coffee cup option, indicating you are temporarily away from the meeting, is returning to Non-verbal feedback options. This non-verbal feedback option feature requires client version 5.7.3 or higher.

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Changes to Existing Features
 

• Consolidated chat search for Windows and macOS: “Search” and “Jump To” bars are now consolidated into one unified search. Results are sorted by type (i.e. contacts, channels, files, messages). 

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Updates to Zoom Phone

 

New and Enhanced Features 

 

Administrator Features 

 

• Call queue and auto receptionist SMS (Power Pack): Account owners and admins can allow phone users to send or receive SMS messages using phone numbers associated with call queues or auto receptionists. This feature requires the Power Pack add-on and desktop client version 5.7.3 or higher.

• Dial-by-name directory across sites: If an account has multiple sites enabled, owners and admins can create a dial-by-name directory and specify which sites and users are included in the directory. Dial-by-name directories were previously only available for users from the same site.

Happy Zooming,  

​

Nelson Kwok

Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

May was another packed release month across Zoom’s platform and products. While we’ve highlighted some of the key releases below, be sure to check out our Release Notes in Zoom’s Knowledge Center and download the latest version of Zoom to access these features and more. For any questions pertaining to the releases highlighted below, feel free to reach out.

Key Highlights from Zoom’s May Releases
 

Updates to Zoom Web Portal

 

New and Enhanced Features
 

User Features 
 

• Enhanced Data Privacy Notices: When updating profile information, registering for a webinar, and across other features, users are now informed about who can see, save, and share information before they provide it. See screenshot below for an example.
  
  Please click here to see the screenshot.

Administrator Features

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• Required Virtual Backgrounds: Account owners or admins can enable a setting at the account or group level to require the use of virtual backgrounds when users have their videos on. If a device does not meet system requirements for virtual backgrounds, video cannot be utilized. This feature requires client 5.6.6 or higher.  

• Recording Highlights: Admins and hosts can enable recording highlights, whereby the audio transcript of a cloud recording is analyzed and important segments are highlighted using AI. Hosts are able to modify the highlighted sections, and those viewing the recording will see the highlighted section. To utilize this feature, make sure cloud recordings and audio transcriptions are enabled in the Admin > Account Management > Account Settings > Recording section of the Web Portal. Note: this capability currently only exists for English, as audio transcripts are only available in English at this time.

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Updates to Zoom Desktop Client

 

New and Enhanced Features

 

Meeting/Webinar Features
 

• Virtual Background Enhancements for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS: Similar to the Web Portal release, account admins can require users to use virtual background when their video is on. In addition, admins can set a default virtual background from the default or custom uploaded options. If the device does not meet the system requirements for virtual background, the user is not able to turn on their video.

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Updates to Zoom Phone

 

New and Enhanced Features 

 

Administrator Features 

 

• Granular Control of Holiday Hours for Auto Receptionists and Call Queues: Account owners and admins can customize holiday hours by specifying hours instead of days.

• Enhancement to Email Notifications for Nomadic Emergency Services: If a phone user places an emergency call from a desk phone, the email notification will contain the desk phone’s display name as set in the Web Portal.

• Consent for Ad-Hoc and Automatic Call Recordings: If account owners and admins enabled the disclaimer for call recordings, they can require call participants to press 1 to consent to be recorded. This setting is disabled by default. It can be changed at the account level (multiple sites disabled) or site level (multiple sites enabled). Account owners and admins can also use the call log to view if call participants accepted the disclaimer.

Happy Zooming,  

​

Nelson Kwok

Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

April was another packed release month across Zoom’s platform and products. While we’ve highlighted some of the key releases below, be sure to check out our Release Notes in Zoom’s Knowledge Center and download the latest version of Zoom to access these features and more. For any questions pertaining to the releases highlighted below..

Key Highlights from Zoom’s March Releases

Updates to Zoom Web Portal

​

New and Enhanced Features
 

User Features 
 

• Enhanced data privacy notice: In-context user education for various features, such as viewing a cloud recording, informs the user who can see, save, and share the information before they provide it.

• UI enhancement for webinar practice session: Webinar hosts that enable the practice session will see a Start Practice Session button when viewing their webinar details instead of a Start Webinar button.
  

Administrator Features

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• Enhancement to cloud recording reports: Account owners and admins can increase the reporting range up to one year and generate reports for multiple sub-accounts. 

• Allow all or selected emojis for meeting reactions: If the meeting reactions feature is enabled, account owners and admins can allow meeting participants to use all emojis or a predefined set of six emojis. This feature requires client version 5.6.3 or higher.

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Web Client Features
 

• Enhanced data privacy notice: In-context user education for various features, such as polling, Q&A, chat, whiteboard, closed captioning, and others, informs the user who can see, save, and share the information before they provide it.

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Updates to Zoom Desktop Client
 

New and Enhanced Features
 

General Features

 

• Enhanced Untrusted Service Certificate alerts for WIndows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS: Untrusted Service Certificate alerts will now provide additional information about the error, such as the server name on the certificate is incorrect, failed revocation check, untrusted certifying authority, or an invalid certificate or associated chain. Users will also be able to view the certificates to assist in troubleshooting.

• Enhanced data privacy notices for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS: See Web Portal > Web Client Features section.

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Meeting/Webinar Features

 

• Vanishing Pen for Windows, macOS, and Linux: This new annotation tool will allow annotators to make on the shared screen to highlight certain information, but the markings will fade away within a couple of seconds.

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Meeting Features 

 

• Full suite of emojis for Reactions for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS: Available in client version 5.2.0 or higher, all emojis available for Zoom chat can now be used as a reaction in a meeting. Hosts can restrict reactions to the standard set or allow use of the full suite.

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Chat Features

 

• Enhancements to deactivate user visibility for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS: Deactivated users will no longer be searchable, unless there is existing chat history with that user. Profile information and available interaction options will be reduced in line with their diminished user status. Deactivated users will be listed at the bottom of any contact list or group.

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Phone Features

 

• Recover call history, voicemail, and recordings for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS: If enabled by the admin, users can restore their soft-deleted history, voicemail, or recording within 30 days. After that, it will be permanently deleted from the account. This feature needs to be enabled by Zoom.

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Updates to Zoom Phone
 

New and Enhanced Features
 

Administrator Features

 

• Enhancements to call queue real-time analytics and historical dashboard: With newly added “available” status, account owners, admins, and queue members with the Power Pack add-on can view the number of members who are available to receive call notifications from the call queue. They can also select a date range of up to one year for historical reports.

Happy Zooming,  

​

Nelson Kwok

Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

March has brought several new releases to the Zoom platform, specifically to the Zoom Web Portal and Desktop Client, so I wanted to take a moment to share some of these key updates and enhancements with you. For a full list of all the features released on Zoom in the last month, visit the Release Notes page in our Help Center. To access all of these new features and more, download the latest version of Zoom. If you have any questions regarding any of the releases below, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Key Highlights from Zoom’s March Releases

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Updates to Zoom Web Portal

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New and Enhanced Features
 

Administrator Features
 

• Allow authentication exceptions: If only authenticated users are allowed to join the meeting, account owners and admins can allow authentication exceptions to allow guests to join meetings. This feature can be enabled at the account or group level.

• Place participants in waiting room if host is not in meeting: Account owner and admins can enable an account-level security setting to place participants in the waiting room if the host/co-hosts are not present or if they lose internet connection during a meeting.

• Enhancement to vanity URL process: When setting up a new account, account owners and admins can choose from pre-fille vanity URLs that are based on the account information.

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Updates to Zoom Desktop Client

New and Enhanced Features

Meeting & Webinar Features

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• Enhanced device testing on Windows, macOS, and Linux: Users will get a clearer pass/fail determination when testing camera, speakers, and microphone with zoom.us/test.

• Additional authentication option for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS: An additional authentication method - “Users in my account” - can be selected, requiring users joining your meeting or webinar to be signed into their profile within your account.

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Webinar Features
 

• Additional attendee view controls for Windows, macOS, and Linux: Attendee view layout controls will also be available in the “Participants” panel under “More,” in addition to the controls available in the “View” options.

• File transfer for webinar chat on Windows, macOS, and Linux: Webinar hosts and panelists will be able to send files in chat, but must be on version 5.6.0 or higher to send or receive files.
   

Chat Features

 

• Enhanced search filter for @me mentions for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS: Chat searches can be narrowed to just include results containing mentions of the person who is searching.

• Search in channel within channel options for Windows and macOS: The option to search within a specific chat channel can also be selected directly in that channel’s information panel directly below “Add Members.” .

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Happy Zooming,  

​

Nelson Kwok

Zoom Video Communications, Inc.