Zoom News: Updated Interface and More…

Zoom has recently updated the meeting interface with new options for how a Zoom meeting looks and feels. The first thing you may notice, is that the name has changed to “Zoom Workplace” (which you will see in the upper left corner). The icons at the bottom of the meeting window have also been given a new look. Additionally, these icons can now be moved around according to your preference by simply clicking and dragging them. The icons can also be moved into, or out of, the “more” option to hide any icons you don’t want to display in the main icon toolbar. You may also notice that some of the buttons you previously saw in the toolbar, for example the “record” button, have now been moved into the “more” area, but you can choose to move them back out into the toolbar if you wish. (You cannot move the icons for “audio,” “video,” “more,” or “end”).

There are also some other new ways to change the look of your Zoom experience. You now have the choice to change the color of your Zoom desktop app. You can choose between bloom (blue), agave (green), and rose (red). The color will change only for you, and not for participants of a meeting you are hosting.  You can also change the wallpaper that appears behind the participant panels. There are several preset images that have been provided by Zoom. The transparency can be adjusted to determine how much you want the wallpaper to bleed through the participant panels. Participants in the meeting who have updated their Zoom apps will see the wallpaper the host has selected. These changes will allow users to add more color and customization to their meeting experience.

You will also notice a new dynamic multi-speaker video layout during meetings, which will provide a more engaging user experience. To select this view, click the “view” button in the upper right-hand corner of your Zoom window, and select “multi-speaker.” When multiple participants are speaking, their tiles will dynamically enlarge and move up to the top of the screen, placing multiple speakers side-by-side, while the tiles of other participants stay below in a smaller gallery view. This will create a better classroom experience for both instructors and students, who will no longer need to locate the speaker in the gallery. When someone is speaking their tile will automatically come up allowing participants to remain immersed in the conversation. Finally, there are new dynamic options for emojis and reactions, which shows them floating up and around the user.

To experience these new features, you will first have to update your Zoom app.

To change the color or your Zoom desktop app and set a different wallpaper, click on the “view” button in the top right corner of your meeting window. To change the color (1), click “change theme” and select your color. To change the wallpaper (2), click “set meeting wallpaper” where you will also see the option to set the transparency for participants (3).

For more information on Zoom’s Multi-Speaker view, please visit: Adjusting your video layout during a virtual meeting (zoom.com)

For more information on using Zoom’s wallpapers, please visit: Using meeting wallpapers (zoom.com)