Hosts and co-hosts can use the Security button to remove participants and quickly manage meeting features like waiting rooms, screen sharing, or the ability for participants to unmute themselves. Changes made within the Security menu apply to that session only and take effect immediately.

Screenshot of in-meeting security menu

Security Controls

The Security menu divides its controls into three sections:

Meeting Control

  • Lock Meeting: Lock or unlock your meeting, preventing new participants from joining. If someone leaves, they will not be able to rejoin the meeting. If they disconnect and reconnect due to a network issue, however, they should be able to return.
  • Enable Waiting Room: Turn the waiting room on or off. Waiting rooms will use your account settings.
  • Hide Profile Pictures: When enabled, hides profile pictures set by participants. Instead of their picture, their initials will be displayed in the participants list and their full name will appear if they are the active speaker with no video.

Participant Functionality

  • Share Screen: Allow or disallow participant screen sharing. If a participant is sharing their screen and this setting is disabled, their screen share will stop immediately.
  • Chat: Allow or disallow participants from using the in-meeting chat feature.
  • Rename Themselves: Allow or disallow participants from renaming themselves. If disabled, participants will no longer be able to update their name. Hosts or co-hosts may still rename someone on their behalf. We recommend adjusting this with care, especially if participants specify preferred names or pronouns.
  • Unmute Themselves: Allow or disallow participants from unmuting themselves. When enabled, unmuted participants will remain unmuted until either they mute themselves or a host or co-host mutes them. Once muted, a participant will only be able to unmute if a host asks them to unmute using the Participants list.
  • Start Video: Allow or disallow participants from sharing their camera. Hosts and co-hosts will still be able to start and stop their video on demand.
  • Annotate on Shared Content: Allow or disallow participants from annotating on screen or other content sharing during the meeting. This option is only visible while content sharing is active.

Stopping Disruptions

  • Remove Participant…: Quickly list participants who can be removed from the meeting. Co-hosts and hosts will be hidden automatically. When removing a participant, you will have the option to file a report with Zoom Trust & Safety. You can also file a report with IS&T.
  • Suspend Participant Activities: Mutes all participants, stops all video, stops screen sharing, disables chat, and locks the meeting. You will also have the option to file a report with Zoom Trust & Safety. You can additionally file a report with IS&T.