Zoom instant messaging

To send a chat message to a Zoom user:

1. Log in to your Zoom desktop app.
2. Select ‘Chat’ at the top of the home screen. Your recent chat history will appear.
3. To find the Zoom user you want to chat with, start typing the person’s full name in the ‘Search’ field at the top of the window, then select their name from the list to open a new chat window.
4. Enter your chat message in the text field, then press 'Enter' to send it. This notifies the user that you’ve started a chat session with them.

You can leave the chat by:

• choosing another chat in the left-hand menu
• selecting the '+' sign next to 'RECENT CHATS' to open a new chat, or
• closing the chat window.

You can use Zoom to create private or public chat groups that can:

• share files, screenshots and images
• start a group Zoom meeting, either with or without video.

Creating a chat group

1. Within Zoom, select ‘Chat’ at the top of the home screen.
2. Select the '+' icon next to 'RECENT', then select ‘New Chat’.
3. In the 'To' field, start typing the name of a Zoom user you wish to add to your group. Select their name when it appears in the drop-down menu.
4. Repeat this step for each Zoom user you want to invite.
5. Enter your chat message in the text field, then press 'Enter' to send it. The chat group will be created and all participants will be notified that you've started a chat session with them.

Creating a chat channel

1. Within Zoom, select 'Chat' at the top of the home screen.
2. Select the '+' icon next to 'RECENT', then select ‘Create a Channel’.
3. Enter a title for the channel in the 'Channel Name' field.
4. Start typing the name of a Zoom user in the 'Invite Members' field. Select their name when it appears in the drop-down menu.
5. Repeat this step for each Zoom user you want to invite.
6. Choose to make the chat channel 'Private' or 'Public'.
7. Select 'Create Channel' to finalise.

Joining a public chat channel

1. Within Zoom, select 'Chat' at the top of the home screen.
2. Select the '+' icon next to 'RECENT', then select ‘Join a Channel’.
3. Start typing the name of the public channel you wish to join. Hover over the channel name, then select 'join'.

Leaving a chat channel

1. Right-click the chat channel in the left-hand menu.
2. Select ‘Leave Channel'.
3. If you’re the channel administrator, you’ll be given the option to assign admin privileges to another group member or delete the channel entirely.

Within a Zoom meeting, you can send both private and group messages to the meeting’s participants. Follow the instructions for your device:

PC or Mac

To send a message to all meeting participants:

1. Select ‘Chat’ to open the ‘Zoom Group Chat’ interface.
2. Use the text field to type a message, then press 'Enter' to send it.

To send a private message to another meeting participant:

1. Set the participant’s name in the drop-down list next to ‘To’ in the ‘Zoom Group Chat’ interface.
2. Use the text field to type a message, then press 'Enter' to send it.

To save a copy of the chat history:

1. In the ‘Zoom Group Chat’ interface, select ‘...’ then ‘Save chat’. This will save a TXT file of the chat to your computer’s Zoom folder.
2. Once you’ve selected ‘Save Chat’, open the saved TXT file by selecting ‘Show in Folder’ in the green bar that appears.

Mobile device

To send a message to all meeting participants:

1. Select ‘Participants’.
2. Select ‘Chats’ to enter the ‘Chat’ window.
3. Use the text field to type a message, then select ‘Send’.

To send a private message to another meeting participant:

1. Open the drop-down list next to ‘Send to’ in the ‘Chat’ window.
2. Choose a participant name from the list in the ‘Send to’ window.
3. Back in the ‘Chat’ window, type your message and select ‘Send’.

You can use these functions from within an individual chat session, group chat or chat channel: 

Starting a video meeting

1. Select the video camera icon at the top of the chat window, or right-click the chat in the left-hand menu, then select 'Meet with Video'.
2. All online chat-session participants will receive an invitation to join the Zoom meeting.

Starting a meeting without video

1. Right-click the chat in the left-hand menu, then select 'Meet without Video'.
2. All online chat-session participants will receive an invitation to join the Zoom meeting, which will have the video functions disabled by default.

Inviting contacts to a chat or meeting

1. Select the information icon at the top of the chat window.
2. Select ‘Invite Others’.
3. Start typing the name of a Zoom user into the ‘Search’ field. Select their name when it appears in the drop-down menu.
4. Repeat this step for each person you want to invite.
5. Once you’ve chosen all the participants, select ‘Invite’.

Sending a screenshot

1. Open the content or program you want to take a screenshot of.
2. In the Zoom chat session, select ‘Screenshot’. This will turn your cursor into a cross to choose the screen area you want to copy.
3. Click the cursor to start choosing an area, and click 'Capture' to copy your selection into the chat window.
4. Press 'Enter' to share with the chat participants.

To hide the Zoom window while you take your screenshot:

1. Select the down arrow next to ‘Screenshot’
2. Select ‘Hide chat window in screenshot’.

When you ‘Screenshot’ again, the Zoom window will disappear and you’ll be left with the cross-cursor.

Sending an image

1. Select the 'File’ menu above the chat's text field.
2. Navigate to and select the image you wish to share.
3. Select ‘Open’. This will instantly send the image to the chat participants, without asking for confirmation.

Saving an image you’ve received

1. Right-click on the image in the chat window.
2. Select ‘Save as…’.
3. Navigate to where you want to save the image.
4. Select ‘Save’.

Sending a file

1. Select ‘File’.
2. Navigate to and select the file you wish to share.
3. Select ‘Open’. As the file uploads, it will show a blue progress bar. Once uploaded, it will instantly send the file to the chat participants, without asking for confirmation.

Opening a received file

Double-click on the file in the chat window. Zoom will open the file with your system’s default application for that file type.

Deleting chat messages or attachments

To delete chat messages, or attached images or documents, right-click on the item then select ‘Delete’.

You'll see a notification (e.g. ‘You deleted a message’). Other users will no longer see the item, and all references will be deleted from the chat history.