New Meeting Join Flow FAQ

The New Meeting Join Flow streamlines the user experience of joining a meeting. Currently, users see up to three separate dialogue windows during the join flow: Please wait for the host to join, the video preview window, and the Waiting Room. Among these improvements, the functionality of the first “waiting for host” window is combined with the third Waiting Room window.

Any Waiting Room customizations remain set and available through the settings page in the web portal. Currently, account owners and admins do not need to adjust any settings, as the new join flow will be rolled out to accounts through backend server updates. In early 2023, a temporary web setting will be available and defaulted to off, allowing customers to test the new join flow before this new join flow is enabled for all.

What do I need to experience the new join flow?

Meeting participants must be on client version 5.12.0 or higher and joining a meeting hosted by a Free account.

Additional accounts will have access to this new join flow in early 2023.

Is there any admin or user action required for this change?

Currently, account owners and admins do not need to adjust any settings, as the new join flow will be rolled out to accounts through backend server updates. In early 2023, a temporary web setting will be available and defaulted to off, allowing customers to test the new join flow before this new join flow is enabled for all. Any existing Waiting Room customizations are unaffected by this change.

What happens if this is enabled for my account and some users are not on the minimum client version?

All meetings hosted by users under this account will be eligible to have the new join flow. Internal and external users who join these meetings and are on client version 5.12.0 or newer will experience the new join flow. Those on clients lower than 5.12.0 will still experience the current join flow. Users joining meetings hosted by a user on an account not having the new join flow enabled will still experience the current join flow

	Participants - new client	Participants - old client
Host - new join flow enabled	New join flow	Old join flow
Host - current join flow	Old join flow	Old join flow

Will this impact my already scheduled meetings?

All previously scheduled meetings will be automatically updated to the new join flow, and maintain the equivalent security settings as before. There should be no impact to each meeting’s settings, the meeting link, and participants' ability to join these meetings.

This is enabled for my account and others see the combined waiting room and video preview, but I don’t. Why is that?

Please check the following items to ensure you see this new join flow:

• Your desktop client is version 5.12.0 or higher.
• The desktop client setting Always show video preview dialog when joining a video meeting is enabled.
• You are joining the meeting as a participant.
• The meeting was scheduled with Participant videos set to ON.

My video was enabled during the preview, but disabled when I was admitted to the meeting. Why did that happen?

The new join flow allows you to preview your video before joining the meeting, but the host’s meeting settings still take effect once you are fully in the meeting. Thus, if the meeting host disabled participants from enabling their video through in-meeting security controls, that will still take effect upon entering the meeting.

How do I customize the waiting room and how it is presented to participants?

Waiting room customization remains available through the Settings page in the web portal. Learn more about customizing the waiting room.

Does the Dashboard behavior change for when a meeting is indicated as live?

No, the logic for the Dashboard does not change. That is, the host or a participant has to fully join the meeting for the meeting to be live.

Does this new join flow apply to Webinar attendees waiting for the host?

The new join flow will only apply to Meetings. Updates to the webinar join flow will happen at a later date.

How do I enable the new join flow? 

Account

To enable or disable the new waiting room and join before host experience for all users in the account:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit account settings.
2. In the navigation menu, click Account Management then Account Settings.
3. Click the Meetings tab.
4. Under Security, click the New waiting room and join before host experience toggle to enable or disable it.
5. If a verification dialog displays, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
6. (Optional) To prevent all users in your account from changing this setting, click the lock icon , and then click Lock to confirm the setting.

Group

To enable or disable the new waiting room and join before host experience for a group of users:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit groups.
2. In the navigation menu, click User Management then Groups.
3. Click the applicable group name from the list.
4. Click the Meetings tab.
5. Under Security, click the New waiting room and join before host experience
    toggle to enable or disable it.
6. If a verification dialog displays, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
   Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at the account level and needs to be changed at that level.
7. (Optional) To prevent all users in the group from changing this setting, click the lock icon , and then click Lock to confirm the setting.

User

To enable or disable the new waiting room and join before host experience for your own use:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Settings.
3. Click the Meetings tab.
4. Under Security, click the New waiting room and join before host experience
    toggle to enable or disable it.
5. If a verification dialog displays, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
   Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at either the group or account level. You need to contact your Zoom admin.