Ever since users started staying indoors due to COVID-19, Zoom has become a most popular app for staying in touch. However, it has also been the centre of attention because of security issues and online safety concerns. Fortunately, the app is gradually building the trust of its users and offering regular updates to resolve privacy concerns and improve performance.
Zoom released several updates recently, with changes to existing features, new features, and issues that were resolved.
New Settings, ringtones and file sharing option
As Zoom continues to move further in its 90-day security plan, the company is working on encryption and security in its platform. Here are all the new features:
- Admins and account owners can set up a password for personal audio conferencing. This setting needs to be enabled for users to host personal audio conferences.
- If the meetings are registered, hosts can now allow participants to join from multiple devices at once. These settings can be accessed in Meeting Details > Registration options.
- Participants can access meeting information such as Meeting ID, password, etc., when sharing the screen.
- A new chime ringtone will ring in the Waiting Room whenever a participant enters the waiting room.
- Participants will now be able to share files from third-party platforms like Google Drive, One Drive, and Box.
The company also made several updates to its developer features.
Changes to existing Zoom features
Zoom’s interface has also received some useful user experience updates. Here is all that it updated in its existing features:
- Accounts with single Pro licenses will now see the “Who can share?” setting for screen sharing restricted only to hosts. The new settings can be applied by navigating to the security icon.
- Language abbreviations will be listed next to interpreted language. Previously, a flag was interpreted next to the language.
- If a host mutes a participant in the meeting, a consent prompt will appear on the participant’s screen when they are unmuted later by the host.
- Since participants now have to consent before being unmuted, the option for “Unmute all” is removed. Hosts will now have to ask for consent before unmuting any participant.
Security Settings and Performance fixes
The platform is working towards making itself more secure and trusted by users. Here are all the security and performance updates made by the company:
- The issue where the password was not being automatically generated even when “Require a Password When Scheduling New Meetings” option was enabled is now fixed.
- The issue of meetings requesting a password even when it was embedded in the provided link is now fixed.
- Fixed issue where the virtual background was not working.
- Minor Bugs are fixed.
Zoom shared a thread on twitter explaining these new features:
🔒Share Screen: Choose who can screen share and while they screen share, enable or disable participants to annotate over shared content.
— Zoom (@Zoom) May 15, 2020
The company is working on enhancing user experience for all necessary communications from home. New features for asking the consent of users before unmuting and restricting scree-sharing will provide hosts with better control over participants. Zoom will continue to make minor updates to its features for both hosts and participants. Sharing of third-party files have been re-enabled in meetings and webinars, which was a much-required update for many Zoom meetings. Newer updates are also expected to arrive later this week.
Read more about the updates here. The updates are now live on macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and Linux.
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