Resolving Unexpected Participant Behavior

In-Meeting Tools

Hosts, alternative hosts, and co-hosts have immediate access to a variety of tools to mediate disruptions that may occur after a meeting starts. Skip to the preventive actions section of this article for tips on how to prevent undesired behavior before scheduling meetings.

Suspending Participants' Activities

You can quickly lock your meeting, hide user profiles, end screen sharing, disable chat, and shut down video and audio with one click.

1. Click Security in the bottom toolbar.

2. Select Suspend Participants Activities.

3. (Optional) Uncheck Report to Zoom if the disruption is just a minor issue.

4. Click on the red Suspend button.
   
   

To enable features, you will need to manually enable each feature within the Security tab.

1. Click on the Security icon in the bottom toolbar.

2. Select the feature you want to enable. By default, the security pop-up window will save and close.

3. Repeat Steps 1-2 to enable additional features.

Removing Participants

People may take advantage of unsecured Zoom meetings to drop in, promote their social media or businesses, share inappropriate materials, or cause trouble.

Be prepared to handle this situation by taking the following steps:

1. Click Participants in the bottom toolbar.

2. Hover over the participant’s name and click More.

3. Click Remove.

Stopping Participants' Screen Sharing

While a screen is being shared:

1. Click Participants in the bottom toolbar.

2. Hover over the participant’s name and click More.

3. Click Stop Video.
   
   

To disable screen sharing for all participants:

1. Go to your controls toolbar and click the up arrow icon next to Share Screen.

2. Click on Advanced Sharing Options.

3. Scroll to the Who can share section.

4. Select Host Only.

Stopping Chat

1. Click Chat.

2. Click More at the bottom of the in-meeting Chat window.

3. Scroll to the Participant Can Chat With section.

4. Choose from No one, Host Only, Everyone Publicly, or Everyone Publicly and Privately.

Alternatively, disable private chat before scheduling meetings to prevent participants from sending private messages to each other during meetings. Participants will still be able to privately message the host.

Muting Audio

1. Click Participants in the bottom toolbar.

2. Hover over the participant’s name and click More.

3. Click Mute.
   
   

To mute all participants:

1. Click Participants in the bottom toolbar.

2. Click Mute All.

3. Click on Mute All again to mute all current and new participants.

Optionally, you can uncheck "Allow participants to unmute themselves" so that only the host(s) have the power to unmute participants.

Preventative Actions

There are some options available when you first start your meeting or when you schedule a meeting that can help prevent in-meeting disruptions.

Preventing Uninvited Participants

To avoid letting in uninvited participants in the first place, share meeting URLs only with intended participants.

As an extra security measure, you can lock your Zoom meeting so no one can join after a certain point.

1. Join the meeting and wait for all participants to join.

2. Click Security in the bottom toolbar.

3. Select Lock Meeting. This will automatically turn away anyone attempting to join the meeting.

To unlock the meeting, repeat the same steps.

Enabling Waiting Room

This is the most effective preventative measure. When using the Waiting Room, you will need to manually allow participants into the meeting as they join. For more details, go to Managing Waiting Rooms.

Using Passcodes

You can set a passcode or password which is required to join the meeting, preventing anyone who doesn’t have the passcode from joining. The passcode is “embedded” in the meeting link, so most participants will not need to enter the meeting password. However, some people may need to manually enter the password so you should distribute this password to all meeting participants beforehand.

Read more about using meeting passcodes.

Disallowing Participants to Join Before Host

Boise State Zoom accounts automatically prevent participants from joining before the host or an assigned alternative host. Participants who join early will see a dialog notifying them that the meeting hasn't started

Meeting IDs

Best Practices

• Share meeting URLs only with the intended participants.

• Don’t post or otherwise share Zoom meeting links on public websites or social media platforms.

• Enter meetings from calendar invites, your Boise State’s Zoom account, or from the Canvas Zoom integration.

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