Release notes for the Zoom PWA

Upcoming Release

Details about upcoming releases will be posted as they become available.

 

---

Current Release

May 29, 2023

Changes to existing features

• Show meeting controls setting
  The Always show meeting control setting will be permanently available in the client, regardless of whether it is enabled or disabled in the web portal. The web setting will no longer be used to control the availability of this feature in the client, and users will not be able to toggle it on or off through the web portal. Previously, the state of the web setting directly controlled the visibility of the corresponding client setting.

New and enhanced features

• Meeting/webinar features
  • Support for Always show meeting controls
    PWA users can enable the Always show meeting controls option through PWA settings during a meeting. This ensures that the meeting controls, such as mute/unmute, share screen, chat, participants, and other options, are always visible during the meeting.
• Meeting features
  • CAPTCHA security check added to PWA join flow
    CAPTCHA security checks will be added to the join flow to suppress bots from joining meetings through the web client. The CAPTCHA security checks will only be displayed to users who join and are not signed-in. Users who are signed-in will not see the CAPTCHA screen during the join process.

Resolved Issues

• Minor bug fixes
• Security enhancements
• Resolved an issue regarding a panelist rejoining a simulive webinar and playback restarting from the beginning
• Resolved audio issues regarding language interpretation not allowing the original audio to be muted and being played at the same volume as the translation channel
• Resolved an issue regarding phone dial-in participants being displayed as if they could be sent in-meeting chat messages
• Resolved an audio issue when a headset is disconnected and reconnected
• Resolved an issue regarding content shared by the web client not displayed properly when idle

---

 Previous Releases

Note: The information in the past release notes may have been superseded by subsequent release notes. Please review all current release notes carefully. 

April 17, 2023

New and enhanced features

• Meeting/webinar features
  • Additional gallery view sorting options
    Hosts can sort the order of video tiles in Gallery view, choosing from options including sorting by first name (ascending and descending), last name (ascending and descending) and meeting entry time (ascending and descending). This feature must be enabled for use by an admin in web settings.
  • Transfer meetings between Zoom app and PWA
    Seamlessly transition meetings between the Zoom app (desktop client or mobile app) and the PWA. Transferring a webinar is only available for the host of the webinar, while transferring a meeting only requires the meeting to appear on your list of upcoming meetings, even if you are not the host.
  • Noise suppression support
    The PWA supports similar noise suppression as used by the desktop client.
    Note: Unlike the desktop client, the PWA's noise suppression will only be fully on or off.
• Meeting features
  • Persistent audio when joining breakout sessions
    When participants move between the main session and a breakout room, their audio connection is maintained. Previously, participants were required to connect to audio again, even if already connected in the main session.
  • New join flow for Zoom Meetings
    The process of joining a meeting is enhanced to consolidate user inputs and the video preview screen into a single screen. Users will be able to enter their information, such as display name and password, and simultaneously preview their video and test their audio. For signed-in users, their display name will be auto-filled from their Zoom profile, while join links with the passcode embedded will have the passcode field auto-filled, making the join flow more seamless and user-friendly.
• Whiteboard features
  • Support for Zoom Whiteboard
    Zoom Whiteboard can be accessed while in a meeting, as well as outside of a meeting, when utilizing the PWA.

Resolved Issues

• Minor bug fixes
• Resolved an issue for a subset of users regarding joining a meeting through the web client on a mobile device and the meeting has join before host disabled 

March 20, 2023 

Changes to existing features

• Removal of non-video panelists when sharing content
  When panelists share their screen or a video, if no panelists have their video enabled, they will be hidden to direct focus on the shared content instead of their video-off tile. Previously, video-off tiles would remain on screen next to the shared content.

New and enhanced features

• General features
  • PWA support for mobile web client
    The PWA and web client can be accessed through supported web browsers on mobile devices.
    Note: Some features and in-meeting abilities may not be fully supported on the mobile web client as compared to the PWA on the desktop web client.
• Meeting/webinar features
  • Additional gallery view sorting options
    Hosts can sort the order of video tiles in Gallery view, choosing from options including sorting by first name (ascending and descending), last name (ascending and descending) and meeting entry time (ascending and descending). This feature must be enabled for use by an admin in web settings.
  • Transfer meetings between Zoom app and PWA
    Seamlessly transition meetings between the Zoom app (desktop client or mobile app) and the PWA. Transferring a webinar is only available for the host of the webinar, while transferring a meeting only requires the meeting to appear on your list of upcoming meetings, even if you are not the host.
• Meeting features
  • Support for in-meeting chat on mobile web client
    Users accessing a meeting through the web client on mobile browsers can also utilize in-meeting chat. Previously, in-meeting chat was only supported on desktop web browsers.
• Team Chat features
  • Enhancements to Team Chat for PWA
    Apart from the ability to directly access Zoom Team Chat from the PWA, users can now benefit from enhanced features such as:
    • Existing Group Chats: When starting a new chat, users can see existing group chats that match the exact members you entered. They can select an existing group chat and jump right into the chat, rather than duplicating an existing group chat.
    • External Contacts and Contact Requests: Users can add external contacts to their group chats and channels, as well as send invite requests when adding a contact to a channel or sending a chat message. Contact requests can be pinned to the left sidebar through PWA settings for easy access.
    • Channel Settings: Additional channel settings available on the desktop and mobile apps have been added to restrict who can add members, as well as support for multiple channel admins.
    • Additional User Settings: Users can choose to show link previews, change your status to away when inactive, and block users through PWA settings. Blocked users cannot be added to a channel or receive a chat message from you.
• Phone features
  • Support for Zoom Phone Team SMS on PWA
    Zoom Phone for PWA includes support for Team SMS.
• Zoom Apps features
  • Support for Zoom Apps on PWA
    Zoom PWA users can search, view details for, request approval to install, and open Zoom Apps directly through the PWA. These can be accessed within a meeting, as well as outside of a meeting. Currently, only Zoom-developed apps are available, with more to be available once they support the PWA view.

Resolved Issues

• Minor bug fixes

Note: The Support for Zoom Whiteboard enhancement has been pulled from release due to issues with deployment and will be available in another upcoming release.

February 26, 2023

Resolved issues

• Minor bug fixes
• Resolved an issue regarding links sent through in-meeting chat being parsed incorrectly, resulting in an incorrect version of the link being opened
• Resolved an issue regarding the PWA not adhering to an admin's prevention of phone users blocking their caller ID on outbound calls

January 15, 2023

New and enhanced features

• General features
  • Enhancements to existing custom disclaimer
    When users launch or join a meeting or webinar, or log in to their account through the web portal, desktop client, or mobile app, admins can display a customized disclaimer, which users must accept the disclaimer to join, start, or sign in to the session. This has been enhanced so that admins can apply this to user groups. Previously, disclaimers could only be triggered for all internal or all external participants.
  • Support for HID devices
    The PWA can support audio controls through USB-connected HID devices.
• Meeting/webinar features
  • Optimize for video clip support on web client
    When sharing video content through the web client, the Optimize for video clip option can be enabled to improve frame rate and reduce audio lag. Higher frame rate improves synchronization of shared audio and video content. This option may reduce resolution and frame rate of other video participants to save CPU load.
• Meeting features
  • Creation and editing of polls directly in a meeting
    Hosts and co-hosts can create, edit, and delete polls during a meeting. Previously, creating and editing a poll launched the web portal, for changes to be made there.
  • Support for Q&A in meetings
    Hosts can enable the Q&A feature in meetings to allow participants to ask questions, which can be viewed by all, but only answered by the host and co-host. Questions can be submitted anonymously, and responses can be sent publicly for all to see or privately to just the sender. Hosts can also mark submitted questions as something that will be answered live, so participants are aware and can expect their answer to follow soon.
  • Enhanced formatting for in-meeting chat
    In-meeting chat is being enhanced to support more advanced forms of messaging, including in-line image previews, rich text formatting, screenshots, threaded replies, reacting to messages with emojis, and message quoting. Messages can also be deleted after being sent.
• Webinar features
  • Webinar Resources
    Webinar hosts with a Zoom Events license can provide resource links for their attendees. This provides the ability to link to external resources, such as newsletter sign-ups, learn more pages, and others. Hosts can review the interaction results after the webinar concludes through Reporting.

Resolved Issues

• Minor bug fixes
• Security enhancements
• Resolved an issue with video feeds when rejoining the main session from a breakout room

December 18, 2022

New and enhanced features

• Phone features
  
  • Support for Zoom Phone on PWA
    If allowed by admins, users can access Zoom Phone through the PWA. Users with a Phone license to make and receive calls, access voicemails and call recordings, and send SMS messages from the Zoom PWA.

December 5, 2022

New and enhanced features

• Team Chat features
  
  • Support for Team Chat 
    In addition to scheduling, hosting, and joining meetings or webinars, PWA users can also access Zoom Team Chat directly from the PWA, rather than installing the desktop or mobile app. This feature will be rolled out across account types over the course of the next week. Account admins can control access to Team Chat on PWA, the same as Team Chat on the client, though Group management of Team Chat settings. 

October 30, 2022

Changes to existing features

• New Zoom icon for PWA
  As part of our ever-evolving products and brand, the icon for the desktop client and mobile apps is updated with a new logo.

New and enhanced features

• Meeting/webinar features
  • Enhanced in-meeting access to background settings
    The quick-access video options in a meeting provide easier access to blur your background and access other virtual background settings. This more closely resembles the same video options on the desktop client.

Resolved Issues

• Minor bug fixes
• Resolved an issue regarding Chat Etiquette policies not being applied properly
• Resolved an issue regarding links sent through in-meeting chat being cut short if containing a # symbol

September 25, 2022

New and enhanced features

• Meeting/webinar features
  • Sign language interpretation
    This allows the meeting host to assign participants as sign language interpreters, who can interpret one language into sign language in real-time. The host can assign interpreters when scheduling or during the meeting. These interpreters are displayed in a dedicated window, which can be repositioned and resized by the attendee choosing to view sign language interpretation. The host must be a Licensed user on a Business, Education, or Enterprise account, or Pro account with the Zoom Webinars add-on plan.

Resolved Issues

• Minor bug fixes
• Resolved an issue regarding inconsistent Do Not Disturb behavior between PWA and desktop/mobile clients
• Resolved an issue regarding volume of language interpretation

Note: The Support for Zoom Team Chat feature has been pulled from release due to issues with deployment and will be available in another upcoming release.

July 17, 2022

New and enhanced features

• Meeting/webinar features
  • Support for sending files through in-meeting chat
    PWA users will be able to share files through in-meeting chat, if allowed by account admins.

Resolved issues

• Minor bug fixes
• Security enhancements
• Resolved an issue regarding the meeting passcode not being read when included in the join link

June 23, 2022

Resolved issues

• Minor bug fixes

May 24, 2022

Resolved Issues

• Resolved an issue regarding panelists not seeing the recording consent prompt.

May 22, 2022

New and enhanced features

• General features
  • Support for Stay signed-in
    Users signing in to the PWA may choose to stay signed into the application for a longer period using their selected sign-in method, as allowed per their organization’s policies.
  • Enhanced external authentication
    When signing-in and being redirected to external authentication, the authentication and redirect back to the PWA is improved to be more consistent and smooth.
• Meeting/webinar features
  • End-of-meeting feedback survey
    The PWA/web client shows the same end-of-meeting feedback as used in the desktop client. This allows admins to collect user experience data from meetings joined/hosted on the web client. This will follow the Display end-of-meeting experience feedback survey option in web settings.
• Meeting features
  • Enhancement to Waiting Room participants order
    Hosts can choose to display the participants currently in the Waiting Room in either chronological or alphabetical order. This is set in the Waiting Room customization settings in the web portal.
  • View Breakout Rooms activities from main session
    Hosts can get an idea of how active their breakout rooms are by viewing the list of open breakout rooms. Each participant in those breakout rooms will show their current video and audio status, if they are sharing their screen, and any active reactions or nonverbal feedback.

Resolved issues

• Minor bug fixes
• Resolved an issue regarding in-meeting chat messages not auto-scrolling with each new message

April 17, 2022

New and enhanced features

• Meeting/webinar features
  • Support for multi-spotlight for cloud recordings
    Cloud recordings will recognize and record up to 9 spotlighted participants in a meeting or webinar.
• Meeting features
  • Central library of polls
    Users can manage a central library of polls for meetings. They can create or edit polls and use them for Personal Meeting ID (PMI) and non-PMI meetings. Previously, polls for PMI and non-PMI meetings were managed separately. When a poll is marked as available to all meetings, it will appear in the list of polls that can be launched in a meeting. This new central repository will not replace the existing "Personal Meeting (PMI) polls", instead polls created here will only appear in PMI meetings.
  • View Breakout Rooms activities from main session
    Hosts can get an idea of how active their breakout rooms are by viewing the list of open breakout rooms. Each participant in those breakout rooms will show their current video and audio status, if they are sharing their screen, and any active reactions or nonverbal feedback.

Resolved issues

• Minor bug fixes
• Security enhancements
• Resolved an issue regarding the Ask for Help option not appearing when participants are manually or automatically assigned.
• Resolved an issue regarding chat disappearing when moving in-and-out of breakout rooms.

April 1, 2022

Resolved issues

• Minor bug fixes

March 20, 2022

New and enhanced features

• Meeting/webinar features
  • Virtual background support for devices with sufficient hardware
    Virtual Background, instead of the current Mask feature, can be enabled by users on devices with sufficient CPU cores. Only available on devices with at least 4 logical cores, including 4 real cores or 2 cores with 4 threads. This may cause performance issues on lower-powered devices and users can easily switch back to the simpler Mask feature.
  • Audio/Video statistics
    When connected to a meeting, web client users can view meeting statistics, such as latency, jitter, packet loss, frames-per-second, and bitrate.
• Meeting features
  • Rename participants in Waiting Room
    Hosts and co-hosts can rename meeting participants in the waiting room before they enter the meeting. After locating a participant's name in the waiting room section of the participant list, an option appears in the ... menu to rename that participant. The participant is notified of this change.
  • Save Breakout Room assignments for future use
    When breakout rooms are created, the host can save that current configuration and participant assignments, which can be used in future sessions. This is only available for recurring meetings and limited to 10 saved configurations per user.
  • Optional include co-host when automatically assigning breakout rooms
    When creating breakout rooms and choosing to assign participants automatically, any co-hosts will not automatically be included in the assignments, but the host can choose to include them.
• Webinar features
  • Webinar Session Branding
    Hosts can customize the appearance of the in-webinar experience by adding a wallpaper behind the video tiles, setting a common virtual background for all panelists, and providing name tags for each panelist.
  • Reactions for Webinar Attendees
    Webinar Attendees can use reactions, similar to reactions in meetings. The stream of submitted reactions are displayed in the bottom-right corner of the main webinar window, visible to the host, panelists, and attendees. This can be controlled within the webinar, as well as at the Account-, Group-, and User-level settings.

Resolved issues

• Minor bug fixes
• Security enhancements
• Resolved an issue regarding bypassing the Waiting Room when rejoining a meeting

February 27, 2022 

New and enhanced features

• General features
  • Change Zoom presence status
    Users can adjust their presence status within the Zoom PWA.
  • Leave option added in the join before host waiting screen
    When a user on the Web client joins a meeting or webinar before the host, they can click the Leave button to gracefully exit instead of closing the browser, which allows account owners and admins of the host account to view the visit status for reporting purposes.
• Meeting/webinar features
  • Auto-launch PWA on ChromeOS
    When enabled by an admin, users clicking on a join link will be directed to the PWA, instead of the soon-to-be-deprecated Zoom for ChromeOS app. This must be enabled for your account by Zoom.
  • Frozen video enhancement
    To improve compatibility with some Windows devices, the web client may automatically refresh the page when a participant’s video freezes is unavailable during the meeting, which can fix the participant’s video. A warning will appear before this happens, and this can be disabled through in-meeting controls.

Resolved Issues

• Minor bug fixes
• Security enhancements
• Resolved an issue for a subset of users regarding the Meeting has not started message being displayed incorrectly

January 30, 2022 

New and enhanced features

• General features
  • New Admin Policy
    • AutoLoginWithChromeBookUserAccount - Auto-direct PWA login to Google Authentication page
      To make login quicker and easier for Chromebook users, admins can set this policy to automatically direct PWA users to the Google Authentication page, where users can select their Google credentials.This does not apply if DisableGoogleLogin is set to True.
• Meeting/webinar features
  • Enhanced registrant authentication option
    Allows hosts to require webinar and meeting registrants be signed-in to the Zoom account associated with the email they registered to join this session with. If trying to join without being signed-in or signed-in with the wrong account, they will be notified and given the option to sign-in or switch account.
  • Save custom gallery view order
    Meeting hosts can save the customized gallery view order for subsequent meetings. The customized gallery order is saved to each unique meeting ID, which allows the host to load the saved customized gallery order to avoid continually customizing the gallery order for each meeting.
• Meeting features
  • Create, remove, rename breakout rooms after launch
    Breakout rooms no longer need to be closed in order to rename or add/remove additional rooms. Account owners and admins can enable the ability for hosts to create, remove, and rename breakout rooms while they are open and in use. This feature must be enabled by Zoom.

Resolved Issues

• Minor bug fixes
• Security enhancements
• Resolved an issue regarding dismissed Q&A submissions being seen by the submitter

January 14, 2022

Resolved issues

• Minor bug fixes
• Resolved an issue for a subset of users regarding a black screen seen instead of the intended shared content

January 2, 2021

New and enhanced features

• General features
  • List of upcoming meetings
    The PWA will now have an additional tab, where a list of upcoming meetings can be viewed and started.
  • Observe privacy settings of calendar events
    When assigning scheduling privileges to other users in Zoom, users can choose if they can manage any meetings that were marked as private in Outlook or Google calendar. If they cannot manage private events, these users cannot see the invite link, meeting topic, or attendee list.
• Meeting/webinar features
  • Watermark enhancements
    Watermarks will display the entire email address over a participant’s shared screen and video tile, as well as displayed over their video in most video layouts (Speaker, Gallery, Side-by-side). The watermark is also visibly more apparent as a tiled pattern across the video or shared screen.
  • Language support in the web client
    The in-meeting user interface will display in the same language the web browser is set.
• Meeting features
  • Disable Broadcast Message from host to breakout rooms
    Admins on the account can now disable the ability for meeting hosts to broadcast messages to all breakout room participants.

Resolved Issues

• Minor bug fixes
• Security enhancements
• Resolved an issue for a subset of users regarding video quality being limited when a Teams room joins a Zoom meeting via guest join

November 28, 2021

New and enhanced features

• General features
  • Relocation of hardware acceleration settings
    Settings controlling use of hardware acceleration for incoming and outgoing video are relocated to the web client settings window, freeing up space on the meeting toolbar.
• Meeting/webinar features
  • Wider availability for Gallery view
    Gallery view will be available for use on more devices with lower-end hardware. Gallery view can be disabled by users if they experience low performance.
  • Compatibility enhancements for Smart Gallery
    Various enhancements for how the web client handles the multi-stream Smart Gallery view from a Zoom Room, such as moving all Zoom Room participants into a Breakout Room together, in-meeting chat messages are sent to the Zoom Room as a whole (instead of sent to individual members), and assigning the Zoom Room host controls, rather than an individual participant.
• Meeting features
  • Add video to waiting room
    Account owners, admins, and users can add a video when customizing the appearance of the waiting room in the web portal. Participants in the Waiting Room are able to view the video while they wait for the host to allow them into the meeting. This feature is available for all paid accounts.
• Webinar features
  • Order Q&A chronologically or by upvotes
    User submitted Q&A questions are sorted by default chronologically, with the most recent appearing at the bottom of the list. The host and panelists can also sort the questions by number of upvotes, to prioritize more popular questions.
  • Guest indicator for submitted Q&A
    Questions submitted by external attendees in a webinar will be labeled with the Guest marker, to make it clearer which questions are internally or externally submitted.

Resolved Issues

• Minor bug fixes
• Security enhancements
• Resolved an issue for a subset of users regarding difficulties joining breakout rooms

October 31, 2021

Note: This PWA release was delayed until November 6, 2021. 

New and enhanced features

• Meeting/webinar features
  • Profile photos for in-meeting chat
    In-meeting chat now displays the participants’ profile photos, just as they appear in Zoom Chat. If no image is available for a participant, the participant’s initials appear. The account owner and admins can enable this for use in the Account-level web settings, and users can also control this feature in the client settings as well.
  • Non-verbal feedback enhancement: Coffee cup
    The Coffee cup option, indicating you are temporarily away from the meeting, is returning to Non-verbal feedback options in the web client.
  • Adjustable rectangle for virtual mask
    The rectangle shape used as a mask can now be adjusted in shape and size.
• Meeting features
  • Two-way chat with Waiting Room participants
    The meeting Host and Co-hosts can now chat back-and-forth with participants in the Waiting Room. Waiting Room messages can be sent to all participants in the Waiting Room or just individual participants. Only the host/co-host can see responses from those in the Waiting Room.

Resolved Issues

• Minor bug fixes
• Security enhancements

October 17, 2021

Resolved issues

• Security enhancements

September 26, 2021

Note: The PWA/web client release has been delayed until October 3, 2021. 

New and enhanced features

• Meeting/webinar features
  • Upload custom mask backgrounds
    Web client users can upload their own background for use with the masking feature in addition to the standard backgrounds provided by Zoom. The chosen background is persistent between sessions. Backgrounds uploaded by admins through the web portal are also available for use.
  • Poll access for alternative hosts
    If meeting hosts add alternative hosts to their meeting, they can allow alternative hosts to add or edit polls. The alternative host in the meeting will have the additional in-meeting options to add or edit a poll, which launches the web portal to make the changes.
• Meeting features
  • Participant attendance status
    If the host has the Google or Outlook calendar integration configured, Zoom will display a list of others invited to the meeting but not yet in attendance, allowing for quick checks if everyone is in attendance yet. Their invite response (Accepted, Declined, Maybe) is listed with their name and the host can easily invite them to the meeting from the participants panel. This feature can be enabled for use in meetings at the Account-, Group-, and User-level web settings, and will initially be available only for free users as part of a beta.
  • Share screen to all Breakout Rooms
    When sharing screen in the main session, the host or co-host can share their screen to all active Breakout Rooms. Any active sharing in the breakout sessions are interrupted and any annotation or whiteboarding prompts the sharer to save them before viewing the shared screen from the host. Host and participants must be using the web client or Zoom app version 5.7.0 or higher to utilize and see this feature.

Resolved Issues

• Minor bug fixes
• Security enhancements
• Resolved an issue for a subset of users regarding joining a meeting from the waiting room
• Resolved an issue regarding user IDs generated for webhooks when joining through the web client without being authenticated

August 22, 2021

New and enhanced features

• General features
  • New Admin Policy: SetAccountIDsRestricted
    Admins can restrict the PWA to joining meetings hosted by specific account IDs. An admin will need to contact Zoom Support to acquire their account ID.
• Meeting/webinar features
  • Mirror video support
    The web client now supports the ability to mirror your view of your video stream.
  • Persistent device selection between sessions
    When setting your preferred webcam, speaker, and microphone, this choice will be saved for your next use. Users can still quickly switch to other devices as needed.
  • Mute and Video Off when joining a recorded/live streamed meeting
    When participants join a meeting that is already being recorded and/or live streamed, they will join with their video off and muted until they consent to the recording prompt. After consenting, they will be able to unmute and turn on their video, if the host allows them to. This brings the web client into parity with the desktop and mobile clients.
  • Support for additional reaction skin tones
    Users can choose from more skin tones for their reactions, such as Raise Hand.
• Meeting features
  • Support for Focus Mode
    In focus mode, only the host can see participants’ videos or profile pictures when video is off. Additionally, participant’s screen sharing can only be viewed by the host, who can switch between multiple shared screens and optionally allow participants to view others’ shared screens.

June 29, 2021

Introducing the Zoom PWA
The Zoom PWA (Progressive Web App) is a new, more powerful version of the Zoom web client. This PWA, intended as a replacement for our ChromeOS app as we reach the final year of support for all ChromeOS apps, mirrors all of the same features currently available for the ChromeOS app, yet allows for more functionality planned for later this year.