Zoom Hosts Cheat Sheet
1. Recommend using a desk top or a ipad for hosting. Difficult on an smart phone to see all
the control functions.
2. Claim host at bottom of participant list (3 dots) or on your own name (3 dots) on the
participants list. A box will come up where you write the HOST Key code. The code
originates with the license owner who scheduled this particular meeting.
3. Make someone who is comfortable with it cohost so you have backup in case your internet
drops. Phone callers can not cohost. You assign cohost by opening the 3 dots next to the
person’s name on the Participant List. You will see make cohost an option.
4. Audio Controls: Many of our meetings have decided to let members mute and unmute
themselves. If so, participants are asked to mute their microphone when it is time to start
the meeting. HOST must mute those who forget.
5. For those on a phone, they must press *6 (star 6) to mute or unmute. People coming in by
phone literally show a phone IKON by their name. That is how you can tell at a glance if
anyone is coming into the meeting that way.
6. Some of our OA meetings are using the mute upon entry function and the mute all
function during the meeting. This means in order to share (speak), read out loud, introduce
oneself or ask questions, the HOST must unmute you. In these meetings the meeting
leader will call on the person to speak. The HOST will have to unmute them. On some
devices the person will see a pop up that says host would like to unmute, they have to
answer yes. If this is a large meeting, recruit a cohost to handle mute and unmutes.
7. If you use the mute all function at the start of the meeting, the HOST must go to the
security shield on the tool bar to allow participants to later unmute themselves. It is also
possible to release the Mute all with the 3 dots at the bottom of the Participant List.
8. Most of our meetings start early to set up and welcome everyone—if they have any
questions during this time, use the chat box or raise hands function. If they are on the
phone, press star 9 to raise your hands.
9. Video Feed: Participants are asked to turn off the video if they are moving around,
someone else enters the room, or they are eating. If the HOST observes distracting
images, turn off their video. You can turn off the video on the 3 dots on the participant list or
on their video feed. Note their name so you can go to it on the participant's list and send a
request to turn on video so they can come back when they are settled.
10.Raise Hand: The Blue Hands form a line or cue so the meeting leader can know in what
order to call on people. If the meeting leader is coming in by phone, they may need the host
to announce who is next as they can not easily see the Participant list. Remember HOST
and cohosts can not raise their hands.
11. LOWER Hands: participants raise their hands to volunteer to read, share, for
announcements, etc. HOST should lower their hand once they are called on so they drop
out of the cue (or line) so the meeting leader can know that the blue hand on top is next.
12.Rename: I wait a while to see if folks are going to rename. Some do easily, some never do.
HOST gradually rename everyone with first name and last initial.
13.CHAT: You (or assign your cohost) will have to watch the chat so it doesn’t become too
personal or talky. Please ask folks to refrain from cross talk and just use the CHAT to leave
contact info for the We Care List. Be sure to open the 3 dots in the bottom of the chat prior
to ending the meeting to save chat so you can compile the We Care List to send out if this
is the agreement for your meeting. This can also be assigned to the cohost BUT they have
to open the 3 dots on CHAT and ask for it to be saved.
14.Changes to the Chat box function can be made by the HOST by clicking on the 3 dots at
the bottom of the Chat box to set it to (1) no chat at all, (2) host and participants, or (3) host
only. We also encourage disabling private messages, which some believe is cross talk.
15.Security Shield Settings: This includes such options as LOCK meeting (don’t), enable
WAITING ROOM: use for disrupters (see below), Allow participants to: screen share - in
rare instances we allow SCREEN SHARE by participants. Usually NOT as this is how
porno gets on screens. Also our members mistake the tool bar name “share” for “sharing at
a meeting” and click on it by mistake. CHAT we usually allow chat between participants
unless group conscience has said not to. Right now we are allowing participants to
RENAME themselves but know that there are many people who can’t so go in and rename
them. UNMUTE themselves - again we usually allow it. Since so many different people are
going to be hosts always check your Security Shield settings for every meeting.
16.Disruptors: This has not happened to our meetings...yet. If you get someone who is
disrupting a meeting, MUTE them. If it faster mute all. Then, either place them in the
waiting room or in a breakout room. By themselves. Breakout rooms are on your bottom
tool bar. You open a dialogue box, choose manual assignment. You can open Breakout
rooms before the meeting to be ready and then you click on Breakout rooms to open it and
assign the disrupter to a room. Alternately you can enable waiting room and put the
disrupter in there. Then you assign the disrupter by their name from their video feed or from
the participant list and open the room. We use this approach as it is way less harsh than
remove. PLEASE do NOT use remove unless it is all out horrible. Be deliberate as you click
around to never click on something you do not fully intend to!
17.Advanced Stuff: Breakout rooms: if your meeting has newcomers or folks who need extra
help with zoom you can put them with a member who can help them in a breakout room.
Make the member a cohost so they came leave the Breakout Room at will and let you know
when the person who needed help is ready to come back to the meeting.
18.HOST ends the meeting!! If you leave as host, you have ended the whole meeting for
everyone. Remember to use the 3 dots on the bottom of the Chat box to choose save
chat before you leave (or make sure the person who volunteered as cohost to do that
has saved chat).
1. Recommend using a desk top or a ipad for hosting. Difficult on an smart phone to see all
the control functions.
2. Claim host at bottom of participant list (3 dots) or on your own name (3 dots) on the
participants list. A box will come up where you write the HOST Key code. The code
originates with the license owner who scheduled this particular meeting.
3. Make someone who is comfortable with it cohost so you have backup in case your internet
drops. Phone callers can not cohost. You assign cohost by opening the 3 dots next to the
person’s name on the Participant List. You will see make cohost an option.
4. Audio Controls: Many of our meetings have decided to let members mute and unmute
themselves. If so, participants are asked to mute their microphone when it is time to start
the meeting. HOST must mute those who forget.
5. For those on a phone, they must press *6 (star 6) to mute or unmute. People coming in by
phone literally show a phone IKON by their name. That is how you can tell at a glance if
anyone is coming into the meeting that way.
6. Some of our OA meetings are using the mute upon entry function and the mute all
function during the meeting. This means in order to share (speak), read out loud, introduce
oneself or ask questions, the HOST must unmute you. In these meetings the meeting
leader will call on the person to speak. The HOST will have to unmute them. On some
devices the person will see a pop up that says host would like to unmute, they have to
answer yes. If this is a large meeting, recruit a cohost to handle mute and unmutes.
7. If you use the mute all function at the start of the meeting, the HOST must go to the
security shield on the tool bar to allow participants to later unmute themselves. It is also
possible to release the Mute all with the 3 dots at the bottom of the Participant List.
8. Most of our meetings start early to set up and welcome everyone—if they have any
questions during this time, use the chat box or raise hands function. If they are on the
phone, press star 9 to raise your hands.
9. Video Feed: Participants are asked to turn off the video if they are moving around,
someone else enters the room, or they are eating. If the HOST observes distracting
images, turn off their video. You can turn off the video on the 3 dots on the participant list or
on their video feed. Note their name so you can go to it on the participant's list and send a
request to turn on video so they can come back when they are settled.
10.Raise Hand: The Blue Hands form a line or cue so the meeting leader can know in what
order to call on people. If the meeting leader is coming in by phone, they may need the host
to announce who is next as they can not easily see the Participant list. Remember HOST
and cohosts can not raise their hands.
11. LOWER Hands: participants raise their hands to volunteer to read, share, for
announcements, etc. HOST should lower their hand once they are called on so they drop
out of the cue (or line) so the meeting leader can know that the blue hand on top is next.
12.Rename: I wait a while to see if folks are going to rename. Some do easily, some never do.
HOST gradually rename everyone with first name and last initial.
13.CHAT: You (or assign your cohost) will have to watch the chat so it doesn’t become too
personal or talky. Please ask folks to refrain from cross talk and just use the CHAT to leave
contact info for the We Care List. Be sure to open the 3 dots in the bottom of the chat prior
to ending the meeting to save chat so you can compile the We Care List to send out if this
is the agreement for your meeting. This can also be assigned to the cohost BUT they have
to open the 3 dots on CHAT and ask for it to be saved.
14.Changes to the Chat box function can be made by the HOST by clicking on the 3 dots at
the bottom of the Chat box to set it to (1) no chat at all, (2) host and participants, or (3) host
only. We also encourage disabling private messages, which some believe is cross talk.
15.Security Shield Settings: This includes such options as LOCK meeting (don’t), enable
WAITING ROOM: use for disrupters (see below), Allow participants to: screen share - in
rare instances we allow SCREEN SHARE by participants. Usually NOT as this is how
porno gets on screens. Also our members mistake the tool bar name “share” for “sharing at
a meeting” and click on it by mistake. CHAT we usually allow chat between participants
unless group conscience has said not to. Right now we are allowing participants to
RENAME themselves but know that there are many people who can’t so go in and rename
them. UNMUTE themselves - again we usually allow it. Since so many different people are
going to be hosts always check your Security Shield settings for every meeting.
16.Disruptors: This has not happened to our meetings...yet. If you get someone who is
disrupting a meeting, MUTE them. If it faster mute all. Then, either place them in the
waiting room or in a breakout room. By themselves. Breakout rooms are on your bottom
tool bar. You open a dialogue box, choose manual assignment. You can open Breakout
rooms before the meeting to be ready and then you click on Breakout rooms to open it and
assign the disrupter to a room. Alternately you can enable waiting room and put the
disrupter in there. Then you assign the disrupter by their name from their video feed or from
the participant list and open the room. We use this approach as it is way less harsh than
remove. PLEASE do NOT use remove unless it is all out horrible. Be deliberate as you click
around to never click on something you do not fully intend to!
17.Advanced Stuff: Breakout rooms: if your meeting has newcomers or folks who need extra
help with zoom you can put them with a member who can help them in a breakout room.
Make the member a cohost so they came leave the Breakout Room at will and let you know
when the person who needed help is ready to come back to the meeting.
18.HOST ends the meeting!! If you leave as host, you have ended the whole meeting for
everyone. Remember to use the 3 dots on the bottom of the Chat box to choose save
chat before you leave (or make sure the person who volunteered as cohost to do that
has saved chat).