Features & Announcements

According to Zoom, beginning today, April 15, they will roll out the 6.0 version update for the Zoom desktop app. While the update is not yet mandatory for U-M Zoom users (current minimum version requirement is 5.15.5), we want to ensure everyone is aware of the changes regardless of whether their app is updated to the newest version.

The following are the major changes you will notice after updating:

• The Zoom app is now named “Zoom Workplace app.”
• New app color schemes while set to Light Mode - Blue, green, and red. (They are not available while in Dark Mode.)
• Updated icons for the in-meeting toolbar, including renaming the “Security” icon and settings to “Host tools.”
• Customizable in-meeting toolbar by dragging and dropping icons to adjust the meeting features visible to you.
  • Your customized toolbar will sync with your account, so it won’t need to be updated every meeting.
  • The default in-meeting toolbar now has fewer icons, with many consolidated under the More menu. You can drag and drop them out from under this menu to your main toolbar view.
  • The Audio, Video, More, and End icons cannot be removed.
• Floating screen-sharing toolbar has been simplified to focus on core tasks while presenting.
• New multi-speaker view, which dynamically adapts to current speakers by highlighting and enlarging their video tiles over others while still providing a view of other participants in a smaller gallery view below. This is also available when viewing shared content in side-by-side mode.
• New meeting wallpapers allow meeting hosts to customize the meeting’s background for each participant. They can choose from a list of preset images provided by Zoom. (Note that this is not the same as a participant’s virtual background, which hosts cannot change.)
  • The visuals can also be adjusted to blend between participant videos and the wallpaper.
• Meeting reactions are more dynamic, with emojis appearing and floating up and around the user.
• New portrait lighting setting allows Zoom to dim your background while brightening you in the foreground. This is available through your in-app video settings.

Refer to the ITS Knowledge Base for more information on updating your Zoom desktop app.

In an effort to bring you the latest on new features and functionalities, we will be introducing service-specific summaries for Zoom and Slack, similar to what we currently offer for U-M Google. These summaries, however, will not be posted on a monthly basis like Google’s, as these services update less frequently.

Updates:

• Speaker attributions for live automated captions

When viewing automated captions in a live meeting or webinar, captions will now include the speaker’s profile picture to make it easier to understand who is currently speaking. If the user has no profile picture, their initials will be displayed instead. Their full name is provided when viewing the full transcript. Previously, there was no speaker attribution in the displayed captions.

• Meeting and webinar countdown timer

Meeting participants and webinar panelists can choose to display how much time is left in a scheduled session. This timer is based on the scheduled duration, and the timer changes to a slowly warming gold color after reaching “5 minutes remaining.” Previously, participants could only choose to view the current duration of the meeting.

• Q&A for meetings

Hosts can now enable the Q&A feature in meetings to allow participants to ask questions, which can be viewed by all, but only answered by the host and co-hosts. You will need to enable this feature in your Zoom account settings on the web under In Meeting (Advanced) > Toggle “Q&A in meetings” on. Previously, this was only available in webinars.

Questions can be submitted anonymously, and responses can be sent publicly for all to see or privately to just the sender. Hosts can also mark submitted questions as something that will be answered live, so participants are aware and can expect their answers to follow soon.

• Create and edit polls during a meeting

Hosts and co-hosts can create and edit polls during a meeting. Previously, creating and editing a poll launched the Zoom website for changes to be made there. For macOS users, this feature requires macOS version 10.12 or higher.

• Animated meeting reactions

Reactions shown in each video tile can be animated to draw greater attention. The following emojis can be animated: . You can turn these reactions off in your Zoom desktop app settings under General > Reactions > Check/uncheck the “Animate these emojis” box.

• Custom human avatars

In addition to the animal avatars already available, you can now create custom human avatars to be used in meetings. Customization options include numerous facial features, skin colors, and more from which to choose.

Previously Communicated:

Visual changes to Waiting Rooms in U-M Zoom

Zoom has announced they will be updating the registration confirmation page for U-M Zoom meetings and webinars today, May 4, in an effort to improve the security of registration links.

When an attendee registers for a Zoom event, the join link will no longer be displayed on the confirmation page in their web browser. Instead, attendees will find the join link in the email confirmation sent to them. This change helps create more robust protection for meeting and webinar links to ensure only those who registered can attend.

Visit Zoom Support for more information on turning on registration and managing registrants in Zoom.

Beginning May 17, 2022, anyone using the Zoom app on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, or iOS devices to join meetings or webinars hosted on U-M Zoom will be required to use version 5.10 or newer of the Zoom app. (If you only join using a web browser or by phone call, you may disregard this message.) 

This update ensures that you can use important features released in recent Zoom versions. These changes include, but are not limited to, the ability to:

• Create advanced polls that automatically record answers, allow for images, and contain new question/answer types like fill-in-the-blanks.
• Save Breakout Room assignments for future use.
• Rename participants in the Waiting Room.

Note: If you attempt to join a U-M Zoom meeting or webinar on/after May 17 with an outdated app, you will receive an error stating “Update Required.” You will need to update your Zoom app or join from a web browser to access the meeting.

On May 18, 2021, the university will roll out changes to U-M Zoom to improve security and ensure that U-M Zoom may continue to meet the university community’s needs. U-M Zoom users are being notified of these changes on a rolling basis. It is important that you take action if you are hosting Zoom Meetings on or after May 18 or have Zoom cloud recordings you wish to retain.

Upcoming Changes

• Security Settings: U-M will require all Meetings occurring on or after May 18, 2021, to use Authentication, a Waiting Room, or a Passcode. Webinars will not be impacted.
• Cloud Recording Retention: U-M Zoom’s cloud recording retention policy will change from 180 days to 150 days on May 18, 2021. All cloud recordings will be retained for 150 days before being auto-deleted.
  • This change will apply to both existing and new cloud recordings. Local recordings will not be impacted.
  • On May 18, any existing cloud recordings created on or before December 18, 2020 will be moved to the trash for 30 days before being permanently deleted.
• Breakout Room Capacity: All U-M Zoom meetings occurring on or after May 18, 2021 will have an increased Breakout Room capacity.

Take Action Before May 18

1. Add a security setting to your Zoom Meetings before May 18, if you haven’t already. If you don’t take action, a Waiting Room will be turned on for your Zoom Meetings that do not already have a Waiting Room, Authentication, or Passcode.
2. Download any Zoom cloud recordings (refer to Long-term storage and/or hosting options) created on or before December 18, 2020, that you want to keep.
   
   1. If you have a large number of recordings, you can copy them in bulk to your U-M Dropbox for long-term storage and hosting. (Refer to the second bullet in the linked article.)

Learn More

• Refer to the U-M ITS How to Secure Meetings site for information about Waiting Rooms, Authentication, Passcodes, and other security settings.
• Learn more about Breakout Rooms in Zoom Meetings.