Zoom‘s meteoric rise as the video conferencing app of choice has compelled hosts to master skills like managing screen sharing, muting participants, and making quick tech fixes. Handing off some meeting controls as a Zoom co-host lets you share the workload for smoother sessions.
In this comprehensive 2500+ word guide, you’ll learn:
- Exactly how to add and confirm a co-host in Zoom
- Steps to coordinate multiple co-hosts
- Situational uses from webinars to conferences
- Pro tips for utilizing co-hosts effectively
- Visuals, tutorials, and troubleshooting advice
Let’s dive in to unlocking the full power of Zoom co-hosting!
Why You Need Zoom Co-Hosts
Before jumping into the step-by-step process, understanding the importance of designating meeting co-hosts is key.
Benefits of Adding a Co-Host
Co-hosts serve critical roles like:
- Welcoming and prepping attendees pre-call
- Monitoring chat and moderating Q&A
- Fixing technical problems to prevent disruptions
- Managing screen sharing and visuals
- Removing problematic participants
- And much more!
Without co-hosts, meetings become chaos:
The workload for solo hosts quickly becomes unmanageable!
You could even designate specialized co-hosts for certain functions:
- Technical co-host – Handles troubleshooting audio, webcam, connection issues
- Chat co-host – Monitors questions and interactions in the chat
- Moderator co-host – Introduces speakers, enforces rules
Key Reasons You Need Help Co-Hosting Zoom Meetings:
- Recurring large meetings – Overseeing 50+ attendees several times a week
- Public events – Managing external guests like webinars and summits
- Mission-critical sessions – Board meetings, all-company calls, training new hires
- Limited availability – When the main host has brief conflicts during long meetings
The more attendees, the higher the demand for co-hosts to provide backup.
Average Monthly Zoom Meetings Per User (Zoom.us 2021 Survey Data)
| Company Size | Avg Monthly Meetings |
|---|---|
| 1-20 Employees | 27 |
| 20-99 Employees | 25 |
| 100-500 Employees | 29 |
| 500-999 Employees | 46 |
| 1000+ Employees | 57 |
With 30-60 video calls per month, individual hosts desperately need assistance!
Differentiating Co-Host and Alternative Host Roles
Before we dive into the step-by-step process for adding them, let‘s clarify the difference between a Zoom co-host and alternative host.
| Co-Host | Alternative Host |
|---|---|
| Designated during an active meeting | Assigned when scheduling a meeting |
| Nearly full host controls | More limited controls |
| Multiple simultaneous co-hosts allowed | Only 1 alternative host |
In essence:
- Co-hosts – Temporary role granted ad hoc as needed
- Alternative hosts – Preset backup if the primary host is unavailable
You can actually utilize both for even more robust coverage!
Next, let‘s examine the permissions gained with co-host status.
Complete Zoom Co-Host Capabilities
When elevated from attendee to co-host, you gain additional controls like:
Audio Settings
- Mute/unmute all or individual participants
- Block unwanted noise/music
- Troubleshoot microphone glitches
Video Settings
- Pause someone‘s video feed temporarily
- Spotlight active speaker video
- Correct lighting or angle issues
Screen Sharing
- Launch shared content from your screen
- Annotate slides, documents together
- Disable sharing if inappropriate
Chat & Reactions
- Broadcast alerts to all participants
- Moderate chat discussions and questions
- Allow/disable reactions like clapping
Attendee Management
- Admit guests from waiting room
- Remove disruptive participants
- Temporarily disable someone‘s mic/video
Recording Settings
- Start/stop meeting recording
- Pause if sensitive discussions
| Co-Host Benefits | Host Benefits |
|---|---|
| Handle participant interactions | Drive meeting agenda |
| Moderate chat and Q&A | Present core content |
| Fix technical problems | Coordinate with co-hosts |
| Manage media/visuals | Guide discussions |
| Admit and remove guests | Launch breakout rooms |
Balancing hosting duties prevents anyone from being overwhelmed!
Step 1: Enable Co-Host Setting in Account
If you try to add a co-host without the capability enabled, you’ll be very confused why the option is missing!
To enable:
- Login at zoom.us and access Settings
- Under In Meeting (Basic) – toggle Co-host to on
Warning: If you only have a free Basic Zoom account, upgrade to Pro or higher to unlock co-host functionality.
With that flipped on, you can now designate co-hosts during meetings!
Step 2: Start Your Zoom Meeting
Starting meetings works the same way as usual:
Via Zoom Desktop App:
- Open the Zoom app and select Host Meeting
- The meeting control interface will load
Via Personal Link:
- Go to zoom.us/start to launch instantly with your permanent link
Via Mobile App:
- Tap the orange Start Meeting button
Via Scheduled Meeting:
- If you already have a meeting scheduled in Zoom previously, click to Start the scheduled meeting at its upcoming time
Step 3: Have Participants Join Meeting
Once your meeting control panel loads, have your intended co-host join right away along with any early arrivals:
- Copy invitation link and send via email, IM, text
- Share meeting ID and password in invite
At minimum, 2 attendees must join before assigning a co-host.
Pro Tip: Use Zoom‘s Waiting Room feature so you can vet guests and admit them once ready.
Step 4: Hover Over Name > Make Co-Host
Here is the quick process to designate your chosen participant as a meeting co-host:
- Hover over their name in participants list
- Click the More button
- Select Make Co-Host option
- Confirm prompt to apply co-host role
That user will now gain special co-host powers!
Repeat to add even more co-hosts as needed.
Step 5: Verify New Co-Host Assignment
To confirm your new co-host now has elevated privileges:
✅ Checkmark icon displays briefly
✅ (co-host) appears next to their name
✅ New yellow crown badge shows by their profile
✅ Can test special controls like screen sharing
Ask them to utilize a co-host tool like enabling reactions or monitor chat.
You’ve now successfully promoted your first Zoom meeting co-host!
Pro Tips for Leveraging Co-Hosts
Here are expert recommendations for unlocking the full potential of Zoom co-hosts:
Plan Ahead on Tasks
- Discuss which co-host handles what rather than stepping on toes
Ideal Attendee-to-Co-Host Ratios
- 1-50 guests = 1 dedicated co-host
- 50-100 guests = 2 co-hosts
- 100+ guests = 3+ co-hosts
Pre-Validate Access
- Schedule test meetings to confirm co-host settings stuck
Manage Before and After
- Have co-hosts greet early joiners pre-call
- Debrief together post-meeting on what worked
Reactive Support
- Monitor co-host attention indicators if they drop
Assigning meeting roles ahead helps everything run more smoothly!
Make Someone Else Host
In addition to adding Zoom co-hosts, you can transfer the highest-level meeting host controls to another participant:
- Hover over their name > More > Make Host
- Confirm the pop-up prompt
- You lose main host permissions completely!
Exercise caution handing off the host crown.
Revoking Co-Host Status
If you need to demote a troublesome co-host:
- Hover their name > More > Reclaim Host Privileges
- Affirm the pop-up box
Co-hosts instantly revert to a normal attendee without special powers.
Troubleshooting Missing Co-Host Options
If co-host controls disappear unexpectedly:
- Verify account has Pro or higher paid Zoom plan
- Check co-host setting is enabled under web Settings
- Reboot Zoom client app and retest
- Works on latest Zoom desktop app version only
Also confirm meeting has at least 2 attendees present already.
Zoom Co-Host on Mobile
Good news – all the above functionalities work on iOS and Android too!
The process looks the same on mobile:
So attendees can leverage co-host powers whether desktop or mobile.
Additional Ways to Collaborate
Alongside standard meeting co-hosts, Zoom offers more tools for working together:
Breakout Rooms
- Split into separate video sessions
- Optionally assign room moderators
Webinar Panelists
- Stage panel talks or Q&A
- Make attendees co-hosts instead for webinars
Remote Control
- Give mouse/keyboard access to help navigate
- More limited vs full co-host abilities
Scaling Co-Hosts at Higher Attendance
For meetings above 100 participants, certain best practices help ease the load:
1. Segment functional areas
- Have co-hosts specialize in niche domains like managing A/V, chat, tech support, etc.
2. Forecast usage spikes
- Add extra temporary co-hosts for predictable surge times like Q&As
3. Eliminate peripheral apps
- Turn off YouTube streaming if it taxes CPU resources
4. Reclaim host controls from problem co-hosts ASAP
Streamlining controls prevents everything from spiraling out of control!
Recap: Key Steps to Make Zoom Co-Hosts
Just to recap, the key process to designate meeting co-hosts:
- Verify paid Zoom account
- Enable co-host setting in web dashboard
- Start instant or scheduled meeting
- Have 2+ attendees join meeting
- Hover on user > Choose Make Co-Host
- Confirm add request in pop-up
Repeat assigning more co-hosts as needed!
With these powers combined, your meetings will run far more smoothly.
Now no single person has to handle everything themselves.
Wrapping Up
I hope this guide served as your definitive reference for unlocking all the benefits of Zoom co-hosts!
Distributing meeting controls leads to happier hosts, productive collaborators, and technical headaches avoided.
Have any other questions on mastering co-hosts? Let me know in the comments!
