Have you ever been in a Zoom meeting and needed to communicate with someone privately, without the risk of others overhearing? If so, you’re in for a treat! This article will walk you through the process of having a private chat in Zoom, allowing you to have confidential discussions and eliminate any potential disturbances or interruptions.
1. Start a Private Chat During a Meeting
First things first, join the Zoom meeting just as you normally would. Once you’re in the meeting, you’ll see the chat icon at the bottom of the meeting controls bar. Click on it to open the chat panel on the right-hand side of your screen.
Now, to initiate a private chat, locate the ‘To:’ field at the bottom of the chat panel. Click on it and select the person you want to chat with privately from the participant list. This will open a separate chat window exclusively for your conversation.
In this private chat window, you can exchange messages, links, and even files with the specific participant without everyone else in the meeting seeing them. It’s a great way to have discrete conversations during a group meeting.
2. Start a Private Chat Before Joining a Meeting
If you want to have a private chat with someone before joining a meeting, you can still do that in Zoom. Open the Zoom application on your device and click on the ‘Chat’ tab at the bottom of the window.
Now, click on the ‘New Chat’ button located at the bottom-right corner of the chat tab. In the ‘To’ field, enter the name or email address of the person you want to have a private chat with.
Once you’ve entered the recipient’s information, you can start typing your message in the message box below. When you’re ready to send the message, hit the ‘Enter’ key on your keyboard, and your private chat conversation will begin.
3. Using Zoom’s End-to-End Encrypted Chat
If you are particularly concerned about the security and privacy of your chat conversations, Zoom offers an option for end-to-end encrypted chat. This feature ensures that only you and the recipient can access your messages, and even Zoom itself cannot decrypt them.
To enable end-to-end encryption for your chats, go to the Zoom Settings menu by clicking on your profile picture and selecting ‘Settings’. In the settings window, navigate to the ‘Chat’ tab.
Under the ‘Chat’ tab, you’ll find the option to enable end-to-end encryption. Simply toggle the switch to turn it on. From that point onwards, all your chat messages will be encrypted, providing an extra layer of security for your private conversations.
Conclusion
Chatting privately in Zoom is a breeze once you know the steps. Whether you want to have a discrete conversation during a meeting or initiate a private chat before joining, Zoom provides the tools to ensure your conversations remain confidential and secure. So, go ahead and make the most out of Zoom’s private chat feature!