The chat function is a great way to quickly view student feedback and questions. You may consider assigning a ZA, TA, or participant to manage Zoom chats during a meeting. Also consider if you would like to take periodic breaks during the lecture to answer chat questions or if you'd like your assistant to alert you to any questions as they come in.

Using the Chat Box

The in-meeting chat allows participants to privately message other users or the entire group publicly. The meeting host can choose who the participants chat with or disable the chat option. (These options are available by clicking on the security badge icon while a meeting is in progress).

A transcript of the chat is saved if you choose to record your Zoom meetings.

Note:

Private messages between participants are not viewable by the host.
Private messages sent and received by the meeting host are included in the chat transcript!
Private messages between participants other than the host are not saved in the host's chat transcript.

To access the chat window, click on the Chat icon in the meeting control bar.

The chat box will open. Participants can type a message into the chat box to send a message visible to all participants or click on the blue drop down to send a message to a specific person.

If a new chat message is sent while the window is closed, the Chat icon in the Zoom control bar will flash orange, and a preview of the new message will appear.

Managing the Chat while Screen Sharing

If your chat window disappears while screen sharing, click on the More icon with three dots in the Zoom meeting controls, then select Chat from the dropdown menu.

Managing the Chat While Screen Sharing

A floating chat window will appear during screen share. New chat messages received during screen share will prompt the Chat button to flash orange. Participants cannot see the host’s chat window during screen share unless you have chosen to share your entire screen.

Changing Chat Settings During a Meeting

The host can change the in-meeting chat settings. To do so, click the Chat icon in the Zoom control bar. Then, click the three dot icon to display additional in-meeting chat settings. These settings allow you to download the chat messages in a .txt file format, or to limit who participants can chat with. The host can share a file directly to all participants using the chat box by clicking the File icon.