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VUSD Tech Services Self-Help Resources

Zoom FAQ

Logging In

Make sure you log in using Google and your @vusd.us account.

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Enable Waiting Room

The Waiting Room feature allows the host to control when a participant joins the meeting. As the meeting host, you can admit attendees one by one or hold all attendees in the waiting room and admit them all at once. There are a few ways to use enable a Waiting Room for your meeting:

  1. When scheduling a meeting, under the Advanced Options menu, click the box next to Enable Waiting Room.
  2. This option requires the the host to update to the latest version of Zoom (4.6.10 or higher). During the meeting, click the “Security” button on the Zoom control bar (only available to hosts and co-hosts), and click Enable Waiting Room.

Prevent Participants from Sharing their Screen

By default, anyone in a Zoom meeting can share their screen. There are two ways to prevent participants from sharing their screen during the meeting:

Option 1: Click the “up arrow” next to the Share Screen button in the Zoom meeting control bar, and then click “Advanced Sharing Options…


up arrow to open Advanced Share Options


Then click on “Only Host” under the who can share options.


select only host can share

Option 2: This option requires the the host to update to the latest version of Zoom (4.6.10 or higher). Click the “Security” button on the Zoom control bar. Under the heading “Allow participants to:” click on “Share Screen,” and ensure there is no check mark next to Share Screen.


zoom security settings


Disable Meeting Annotations

This will prevent participants from annotating over your shared screen. After you’ve shared your screen or whiteboard, click “More” in the screen share controls at the top, and select “Disable Attendee Annotation


click more and disable annotations


Mute all Participants and Prevent them from Unmuting

You can mute all participants that are already in the meeting as well as new participants joining the meeting, and restrict them from unmuting their audio. During the meeting, click on “Participants” in the Zoom meeting control bar.


Zoom Manage Participants button on Meeting control bar

At the bottom of the participants panel click “Mute All.”


Zoom Participants Panel Mute All

Then, uncheck the “Allow participants to unmute themselves” to prevent participants from talking in the meeting.


Don't allow participants to unmute


Disable In-Meeting Chat

By default, participants can send Chat messages privately with anyone and with everyone in the meeting. There are two ways to prevent participants from using the Chat feature in the meeting.

Option 1: During the meeting, click on “Chat” in the Zoom meeting control bar.


Zoom Chat Button

In the Chat window click on the “three-dot menu.” Then select “No One” under the “Participants Can Chat With:” to disable the meeting chat feature.


Chat menu No one can chat

Option 2: This option requires the the host to update to the latest version of Zoom (4.6.10 or higher). Click the “Security” button on the Zoom control bar. Under the heading “Allow participants to:” click on “Chat,” and ensure there is no check mark next to Chat.


zoom security settings


Remove a Participant from the Meeting

You can remove unwanted participants from your Zoom meeting. Note: it is possible for unwanted people to return unless you lock the meeting. To remove a participants during the meeting, click on “Participants” in the Zoom meeting control bar. 


Zoom Manage Participants button on Meeting control bar

In the participants panel, mouse over the person’s name you want to remove, click on “More,” and click “Remove.”


More button on Zoom Participant Panel


Remove participant

Disable Participant Video

This will stop a participant’s video stream and prevent them from restarting their video. During the meeting, click on “Participants” in the Zoom meeting control bar.


Zoom Manage Participants button on Meeting control bar

In the participants panel, mouse over a participant’s name, and click “More” and then the “Stop Video” button.


Stop video button


Prevent Participants from Renaming Themselves

Upon entering a Zoom meeting, participants are automatically given names based on their Zoom account or their computer’s user name. These names are displayed in the participant panel and on the video thumbnails. By default, participants can opt to change their name in the Zoom meeting, and the host can choose to rename participants too. There are two ways to prevent participants from renaming themselves.

Option 1: Click on “Participants” in the Zoom meeting control bar.


Zoom Manage Participants button on Meeting control bar

At the bottom of the participants panel click “More.”


More button on Zoom Participant Panel

Then click on “Allow Participants to Rename Themselves” and ensure there’s no check mark next to this option.


uncheck to allow students to rename themselves

Option 2: This option requires the the host to update to the latest version of Zoom (4.6.10 or higher). Click the “Security” button on the Zoom control bar. Under the heading “Allow participants to:” click on “Rename Themselves,” and ensure there is no check mark next to Rename Themselves.


zoom security settings


Enable Enter/Exit Chime

This is helpful for small meetings and cases where participants can pop-in to your meeting. To enable the Enter/Exit Chime during the Zoom meeting, click on “Participants” in the Zoom meeting control bar.


Zoom Manage Participants button on Meeting control bar

At the bottom of the participants panel click “More.”


More button on Zoom Participant Panel

Then click on “Play Enter/Exit Chime.”


play enter/exit chime


Lock the Meeting

When you lock the meeting, no new participants can join, even if they have the meeting ID and password. There are two ways to lock your meeting:

Option 1: Click on “Participants” in the Zoom meeting control bar.

Zoom Manage Participants button on Meeting control bar

Then at the bottom of the participants panel click “More.”


More button on Zoom Participant Panel

Then click “Lock Meeting.”


Lock Meeting option

Option 2: This option requires the the host to update to the latest version of Zoom (4.6.10 or higher). Click the “Security” button on the Zoom control bar. Then click on “Lock Meeting,” and ensure there is a check mark next to Lock Meeting.


zoom security settings