Replying to and managing chat messages
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Use Zoom Chat to message with others outside of a Zoom meeting. You can edit or delete messages, files, or images that you have already sent. The search results that recipients see in the chat will reflect the content of your edited message. Although the recipient does not receive a notification, deleted chat content and files are no longer accessible within Zoom. All platforms support the typing indicator, which notifies you when the other party is typing a message.
Note: If you see a prompt that your message has triggered a Chat Etiquette policy, you are either warned or blocked from sending the message based on what your account admin has configured. The Chat Etiquette Tool does not send additional message information, like data, metadata and event information, to the account admin, to Zoom, or to any 3rd party services, whether the message triggers Chat Etiquette policies or not.
This article covers:
Prerequisites for messaging on Zoom Chat
- Zoom desktop client
- Windows: version 5.2.1 (44052.0816) or higher
- macOS: version 5.2.1 (44040.0816) or higher
- Linux: version 5.2.446620.0816 or higher
- Zoom mobile app
- Android: version 5.2.0 (42588.0803) or higher
- iOS: version 5.2.0 (42611.0804) or higher
Rich text formatting
- Zoom desktop client
- Windows: version 5.8.0 or higher
- macOS: version 5.8.0 or higher
- Zoom mobile app
- Android: version 5.8.0 or higher
- iOS: version 5.8.0 or higher
How to use Zoom Chat on desktop
Windows |
macOS
Basic text formatting
- Sign in to the Zoom desktop client.
- In the Chat tab, select a chat thread.
- Enter your message.
- Highlight the portion that you want to format.
Zoom will display these formatting options.
: Bold the highlighted text.
- / : Italicize the highlighted text.
: Strikethrough the highlighted text.
: Begin a bulleted list.
: Begin a numbered list.
- ... : Open the rich text formatting options. See the next section for more info.
Note: Rich text formatting options can also be accessed by clicking theFormat button.
- Click an icon to format the text.
- Press the Enter key or click the blue send button
.
Note: If using rich text formatting, you must use the blue send button, as the Enter key will just make a new paragraph.
You can also use these keyboard shortcuts to format text:
- Bold: Ctrl/Cmd + B
- Italicize: Ctrl/Cmd + I
- Strike-through: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + X
- Bulleted list: Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + 8
Rich text formatting
To utilize more formatting options, commonly known as rich text formatting, in addition to the basic formatting options:
- Sign in to the Zoom desktop client.
- In the Chat tab, select a chat thread.
- Click the
Format button, or enter some text, highlight the text, and click the ... option. The following options are available:
: Bold the highlighted text.
- / : Italicize the highlighted text.
: Underline the selected text.
: Strikethrough the highlighted text.
: Click this option to access both adjust both the color of the text itself and/or the color highlight around the text. The Clear option removes any selected colors and reverts the text to standard black/white formatting.
: Adjust the size of the font. Choose between Small, Medium, and Large text sizes.
: Insert a link for the highlighted text.
: Adjust the style of the text, choosing from Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, and Paragraph.
: Begin a bulleted list.
: Begin a numbered list.
: Increase the indent of the selected text.
: Decrease the indent of the selected text.
: Create a quote of text. See the section below for more information.
: Clear all formatting of the selected text.
- Click the blue send button
to send your message to the contact(s) or channel.
Note: If using rich text formatting, you must use the blue send button , as the Enter key will just make a new paragraph.
Reply to a message
You can reply to a message to keep all related replies in the same thread; this allows users to easily identify replies.
- Sign in to the Zoom desktop client.
- In the Chat tab, select a chat thread.
- Hover over the message you want to reply to.
- Click the reply icon
.
- Enter your reply, then press Enter.
Replies can contain text, screenshots, files, code snippets, emoji, or animated GIFs.
Your reply will display under the parent message. All future replies will be displayed under the parent message.
To add an emoji to the message or reply, you can begin typing : and at least two characters to find matching emojis to be included. For example, :jo will provide the :joy:, :joy_cat:, and :joystick: emojis. You can also click the smiley icon in the right corner of the text box to see all available emojis, gifs, and saved gifs to select from.
Quote messages
When responding to a specific message in a complex chat thread, quoting that message can help others know exactly what your message is in response to. To quote a message:
- Right-click the message you want to quote and select Quote
- A new reply is opened for you to enter your message.
- Click the send icon
to post the response. The quoted message will appear slightly above your response in grey, while you response is below the quoted message in the default text color.
Add reactions to messages
You can react to messages by adding an emoji.
- Sign in to the Zoom desktop client.
- In the Chat tab, select a chat thread.
- Hover over the message you want to react to.
- Click the reaction icon
.
- Select an emoji. You can select from the same emojis available when composing a chat message.
The icon will appear below the message. - To remove the reaction, click the emoji that was added to the message.
Manage chat messages
You can view more options to manage your chat messages.
- Sign in to the Zoom desktop client.
- In the Chat tab, select a chat thread.
- Hover over the message you want to share, click the ellipses icon
.
- Use of these options:
Follow Message
Enable push notifications for replies to the selected message. Push notifications must be set to All messages for the chat thread.
Note: You will automatically follow your own messages and messages that you've replied to.
Unfollow Message
Click Unfollow Message to disable push notifications for replies to the selected message, regardless of the push notifications settings for the chat thread. This will also disable push notifications if someone mentions you in the reply.
Bookmark Message
Bookmark important messages, allowing you to quickly view them later on.
Click the bookmarked messages icon to see your bookmarked messages.
If the original thread was with another contact, you will see posted in followed by the contact's name. If you starred a message in a channel, you will see posted in followed by the channel's name. Click Jump to view the original chat thread.
Note: Bookmarking a message was formerly starring a message. You can still star a contact or channel for easy access, but individual messages are now bookmarked to avoid confusion.
Remove Bookmark
Remove the bookmark on the message and remove the message from the bookmarked messages section.
In the bookmarked messages section, you can also hover over the message and click the yellow bookmark icon to remove the bookmark from that message.
Share Message
Share the message (text), image, or file with another contact or channel.
Note: You can only share a message with one contact or channel at a time.
Pin for Everyone
Pin the message for everyone in the current group chat or channel. The pinned message appears at the top of the chat window with a pin icon. Only one message can be pinned at a time. Click the info icon beside the channel name, then click Pin History to see a list of pinned messages.
To hide or unpin a pinned message, hover over it, click the ellipsis icon , then click Hide or Unpin for Everyone.
Note: All members of the group chat or channel can pin or unpin messages including admins and regular members.
Mark as Unread
Place an unread message badge on the Chat tab and left-side panel. Zoom will also place Unread above the message. This option is only available on messages (text), images, and files.
Mark as Read
Remove the unread message badge on Chat tab and left-side panel. Zoom will also remove Unread above the message. This option is only available on messages (text), images, and files.
Edit
Note: You can't edit messages if your admin enabled advanced encryption for chat.
Edit the content of a message that you have already sent, and click Save.
Zoom will now show the edited message, and indicate that it has been edited for all chat participants.
Tip: You can also click in the chat message box and press the up arrow key (↑) to edit the last message you sent.
Open Image / Open File
Open the image or file using your system's image viewer or default application for the file type. This option is only available on images and files.
Tip: You can also click the image to open it directly in Zoom.
Open File Location
Open the local directory where the image or file is stored. This option is only available on images and files.
CopyCopy the message (text), file, or image.
Tip: If the message contains a URL, right-click the URL then click Copy to only copy the URL.
Add to Emoji
Add the image or animated GIF to your saved emojis. This option is only available on images and GIFs.
Delete
Delete any item you have sent. Recipients will not be able to see deleted items in Zoom.
Zoom will show You deleted a message, but other participants will not see that notification.
Note: If you delete a message that has replies, recipients will see This message has been deleted, and replies will not be deleted.
Reply to a message
You can reply to a message to keep all related replies in the same thread; this allows users to easily identify replies.
- Sign in to the Zoom desktop client.
- In the Chat tab, select a chat thread.
- Hover over the message you want to reply to.
- Click the reply icon
.
- Enter your reply, then press Enter.
Replies can contain text, screenshots, files, code snippets, emoji, videos, or animated GIFs.
Your reply will display under the parent message. All future replies will be displayed under the parent message.
Add reactions to messages
- Sign in to the Zoom desktop client.
- In the Chat tab, select a chat thread.
- Hover over the message you want to react to.
- Click the smiley icon
.
- Select an emoji. You can select from the same emojis available when composing a chat message.
The icon will appear below the message. - To remove the reaction, click the icon that was added to the message.
Bookmark a message
You can place a star on important messages, storing them as a bookmarked message and allowing you to quickly view them later on.
- Sign in to the Zoom desktop client.
- In the Chat tab, select a chat thread.
- Hover over the the message you want to star.
- Click the bookmark icon
next to a message.
- Click the bookmark icon
at the top of the chat panel to see your bookmarked messages.
If the original thread was with another contact, you will see posted in followed by the contact's name. If you bookmarked a message in a channel, you will see posted in followed by the channel's name. - Hover over the message and click the yellow bookmark icon to remove the message from bookmarked message. Click Jump to view the original chat thread.
Note: Bookmarking a message was formerly starring a message. You can still star a contact or channel for easy access, but individual messages are now bookmarked to avoid confusion.
Manage chat messages
You can view more options to manage your chat messages.
- Sign in to the Zoom desktop client.
- Click the Chat tab.
- Select a chat thread.
- Hover over the message you want to share, click the ellipses icon
.
- Click one of these options:
Edit
Note: You can't edit messages if your admin enabled advanced encryption for chat.
Edit the content of a message that you have already sent, and click Save.
Zoom will now show the edited message, and indicate that it has been edited for all chat participants.
Delete
Delete any item you have sent. Recipients will not be able to see deleted items in Zoom.
Zoom will show You deleted a message, but other participants will not see that notification.
Note: If you delete a message that has replies, recipients will see This message has been deleted, and replies will not be deleted.
Copy
Copy the message text or image. This option is only available on messages (text) and images.
Add to Emoji
Add the image or animated GIF to your saved emojis. This option is only available on images and GIFs.
Save As
Save the image or file to your computer. This option is only available on images and files.
Tip: You can also click the image to open it directly in Zoom.
Pin for Everyone
Pin the message for everyone in the current group chat or channel. The pinned message appears at the top of the chat window with a pin icon. Only one message can be pinned at a time. Click the info icon beside the channel name, then click Pin History to see a list of pinned messages.
To hide or unpin a pinned message, hover over it, click the ellipsis icon , then click Hide or Unpin for Everyone.
Note: All members of the group chat or channel can pin or unpin messages including admins and regular members.
How to use Zoom Chat on mobile
Android |
iOS
Reply to a message
You can reply to a message to keep all related replies in the same thread; this allows users to easily identify replies.
- Sign in to the Zoom mobile app.
- In the Chat & Meet tab, select a chat thread.
- Tap and hold the message you want to reply to, tap Reply
. You can also tap the reply icon
below the message you want to reply to.
Zoom will display a new screen for replies. - Enter your reply, then tap the send icon
.
Note: Replies can contain text, voice, files, code snippets, emoji, or animated GIFs. Your reply will display in the Replies screen.
Chat participants can view replies by tapping the number of replies under the parent message.
Format text
To add additional formatting to a message or portion of text:
- Sign in to the Zoom mobile app.
- In the Chat & Meet tab, select a chat thread.
- Enter your message.
- Tap-and-hold the message you want to apply formatting to. If just a portion of the message, tap-and-drag to select a portion of the message, then tap-and-hold. The following formatting options will appear:
: Bold the highlighted text.
- / : Italicize the highlighted text.
: Underline the selected text.
: Strikethrough the highlighted text.
: Begin a bulleted list.
: Begin a numbered list.
: Create a quote of text. See the section below for more information.
- Tap the send button
.
Quote messages
When responding to a specific message in a complex chat thread, quoting that message can help others know exactly what your message is in response to. To quote a message:
- Tap and hold the message you want to quote and select Quote
- A new reply is opened for you to enter your message.
- Tap the send icon
to post the response. The quoted message will appear slightly above your response in grey, while you response is below the quoted message in the default text color.
Add reactions to messages
- Sign in to the Zoom mobile app.
- In the Chat & Meet tab, select a chat thread.
- Tap and hold the message you want to react to.
- Select an emoji. You can select from the same emojis available when composing a chat message.
The icon will appear below the message. - To remove the reaction, tap the icon that was added to the message.
Manage chat messages
You can view more options to manage your chat messages.
- Sign in to the Zoom mobile app.
- In the Chat & Meet tab, select a chat thread.
- Tap and hold the message, then tap one of these options:
Copy Message
Copy the message (text). This option is only available on messages that are text.
Tip: If the message contains a URL, tap and hold the URL then tap Copy to only copy the URL.
Follow Message
Enable push notifications for replies to the selected message. Push notifications must be set to All messages for the chat thread.
Note: You will automatically follow your own messages and messages that you've replied to.
Unfollow Message
Click Unfollow Message to disable push notifications for replies to the selected message, regardless of the push notifications settings for the chat thread. This will also disable push notifications if someone mentions you in the reply.
Reply
Share
Share the message (text), image, or file with another contact or channel.
Mark as Unread
Place an unread message badge on the chat thread and Chat tab. Zoom will also place Unread above the message. This option is only available on messages (text), images, and files.
Mark as Read
Remove the unread message badge on the chat thread and Chat tab. Zoom will also remove Unread above the message. This option is only available on messages (text), images, and files.
Pin for Everyone
Pin the message for everyone in the current group chat or channel. The pinned message appears at the top of the chat window with a pin icon. Only one message can be pinned at a time. Tap the info icon beside the channel name, then tap Pin History to see a list of pinned messages.
To hide or unpin a pinned message, tap the ellipsis icon in the pinned message, then tap Hide or Unpin for Everyone.
Note: All members of the group chat or channel can pin or unpin messages including admins and regular members.
Save as Emoji
Add the image or animated GIF to your saved emojis. This option is only available on images and GIFs.
Star
Place a star on important messages, allowing you to quickly view them later on.
In the Meet & Chat tab, tap Starred to view all messages you have starred.
Edit Message
Note: You cannot edit messages if your admin enabled advanced encryption for chat.
Edit the content of a message that you have already sent, then tap Done. While editing the message, it will be highlighted in blue so you have context about what you're editing.
Zoom will show the edited message, and indicate that it has been edited for all chat participants.
Save Image
Save the image to your device.
Delete
Delete any item you have sent. Recipients will not be able to see deleted items in Zoom.
Zoom will show You deleted a message, but other participants will not see that notification.
Note: If you delete a message that has replies, recipients will see This message has been deleted, and replies will not be deleted.
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