Video Layouts

You can customize the video layout during your Zoom meetings with four options: Speaker View, Gallery View, Floating Thumbnail View, and Immersive View. When screen sharing, choose between 'side-by-side' mode or 'standard' mode.

Presenter Layout combines your video and shared screen into one frame, with options to display content over your shoulder, in front of you, or side-by-side.

Recording views display the video layouts based on the type of recording: Local or Cloud.  Virtual  backgrounds, avatars, screen sharing, and participant videos are included in both local and cloud recordings.

Recorded Meeting Views

Local Recording Video View

The recording is captured to your computer, and the video appearance is based on the view of the  participant who starts the recording, i.e., if started in Speaker mode, then the recording shows Speaker mode.

Cloud Recording Video View

Content captured through the Zoom server is based on the original host's cloud recording settings configured before the meeting begins. Unlike local recordings, these layouts are captured regardless of the host's in-meeting view. Cloud recordings can also capture multiple views simultaneously, such as Speaker and Gallery Views saved as separate files.

Live Meeting Views

Speaker View 

When there are three or more participants, the large video window switches to whoever is speaking. If only the host and one participant are present, the host's video appears smaller at the top, with the participant's video below.

Pinning a participant keeps them as the primary video in your view, while Spotlight makes them the main video for everyone in the meeting.

 

Gallery View 

Displays participant thumbnails in a grid layout. The desktop client can show up to 25 or 49 participants per page, depending on your processor. If there are more participants, additional pages are created—scroll through them to view up to 1,000 thumbnails.

You can rearrange the Gallery View by setting a custom order and saving it for future sessions.

When a participant is speaking, that active speaker is relocated to the current page you are viewing and is highlighted for easy recognition. If using a custom gallery, the order will not change. 

Switch Between Gallery View and Speaker View  

Click View in the top-right corner, then select Speaker or Gallery.

     

Layout Options when Screen Sharing

When viewing shared content, there are three view options:

• Standard: Similar to Speaker View, with shared content below and video tiles along the top. In fullscreen mode, the shared content fills the screen, and video tiles become smaller, movable thumbnails.
• Side-by-side: Speaker: When in side-by-side mode while screen sharing, the meeting window is split between the shared content and video thumbnails, with the ability to adjust the proportions of the split between the two. Only the active speaker is shown in the video thumbnail area.
• Side-by-side: Gallery: When in side-by-side, the meeting window is split between the shared content and video thumbnails, with the ability to adjust the proportions of the split between the two. Side-by-side: Gallery will display a maximum of 6 (when the shared content is given the most space) or 49 video thumbnails (when the shared content is given the least space) in the portion containing video thumbnails.
• Presenter Layout: When opening the screen sharing selection, layout controls appear in the right-side Layouts panel. The presenter can customize how the shared content and their video displays to attendees; choose 'None', 'In front', 'Over the shoulder', or 'Side by side'. Note: Participants using unsupported Zoom versions will see the shared content in the standard view. Presenter layouts are not supported in local or cloud recordings; recordings will display the standard view.

Hide Participants With Video Off

1. Click on the 3 dots at the top-right corner of any video thumbnail.
2. Click Hide Non-Video Participants.
3. To Show Non-Video Participants again, click the View button in the top-right corner and select Show Non-Video Participants.

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Follow Host's Video Order

Meeting hosts can push their view of participants to everyone in the meeting.
When this is enabled, participants cannot change the order.

     

 

Floating Thumbnail Window

Minimize the main Zoom window using Floating Thumbnail to keep the video on top of other applications. You can move the window anywhere on your screen or hide the video entirely.

1. Click the minimize icon—located in the top-right corner on Windows or the top-left corner on macOS.
2. Once in mini-window view, you can collapse the video by clicking on the down arrow on the left side. Click the down arrow again to expand the video thumbnail.
3. In this mode, you can easily mute/unmute yourself or turn your video on/off by clicking the microphone and camera buttons.
4. To close the floating thumbnail window and return to the full Zoom window, click the arrow on the right side.

Immersive View

Recreate the feel of a classroom or conference room by placing up to 25 video participants on a single virtual background. Participants are automatically arranged in provided scenes, which the host can adjust as needed. The host can also use a custom background for a unique scene. While this does not require the use of the Virtual Background feature, it does work best when everyone has this functionality. 

When screen sharing begins, Immersive View ends and is replaced by the shared screen. Once sharing stops, Immersive View resumes with the same participant positions as before.

Currently, only local recording of Immersive Views is supported. When in Immersive View, only the immersive scene will be captured, while other video thumbnails will not be recorded. Cloud recordings will appear in either Gallery or Speaker view, depending on the cloud recording settings.

Confirm that Immersive View is enabled in your meeting settings:

Sign in to your Zoom account, Click Settings in the left navigation menu. Find the Immersive View option and ensure it is enabled.

Starting Immersive View

1. Start a meeting or webinar.
2. In the top-right corner, click View.
3. Click Immersive.
4. Select one of the following options. Automatically includes as many participants as possible in the selected scene. Participants can be swapped out and arranged during the immersive scene. Selecting Manually, you can add or remove participants as you wish. If more than is allowed for a particular scene is selected, extras will be removed.
5. Select the scene. Each scene designates the max number of predefined places for attendees.
6. Click Start to begin the Immersive View. 

Changing Immersive View  

1. In the top-right corner, click View.
2. Click Change Immersive View.
3. Select the new scene and check participant assignments.
4. Click Start to launch the new scene.

Find out more about Adjusting your video layout during a virtual meeting 

Find out more about Using Immersive View in meetings and webinars