How to Change Host in Zoom

As a rule, meetings, whether online or in a conference room, are scheduled and hosted by the same person. In Zoom, however, the role of the host is much more versatile, with users being able to share or delegate some of their duties.

In fact, this useful app allows provision for a co-host, or at least an alternative host in case you can’t make it to the meeting. But you can also pass the host controls over if you have to leave the meeting suddenly. This ensures that everything continues to run smoothly. But how exactly do you change hosting duties in Zoom?

How to Pass Host Controls

You’ve probably sat in a meeting where things went on for too long. A not uncommon situation when a team is trying to solve a problem. Often, these meetings are facilitated by Zoom, and participants can be from all over the world.

But what if the host overseeing the session needs to leave? It could be that the meeting was too long, and they have a prior engagement. Or that something suddenly came up.

Fortunately, Zoom lets you pass the host controls to someone else in the meeting. Here’s how you do it:

1. Select “Manage Participants” in the host control bar.
   
2. Open the list of the participants, hover over the participant who is going to be the next host, and then select “More.”
   
3. Now select “Make Host.”
   
4. Confirm the selection by clicking “Yes” on the popup window.

That’s how simple it is, just a few clicks, and someone else can take over the Zoom meeting. But here are a few things to remember when it comes to how this process works for licensed and free users.

1. Hosts who are licensed users can pass the host controls to a free user, and the meeting will still run for an unlimited amount of time.
2. Hosts who are free users can pass the host controls to any user, including licensed, for a limited time of 40 minutes.

Adding a Co-Host

If a Zoom meeting is hosting a large number of participants, as is the case with some webinars, the presence of a co-host can be immensely helpful. If the primary host’s job is to give a lecture, it’s good to have an extra host to ensure that they’re not interrupted by tasks, like starting and stopping a recording or interacting with participants.

Put simply, someone’s who’s going to deal with a more administrative portion of the meeting. The host can assign co-costing duties during a meeting, and it’s important to point out that the co-host can’t start the meeting on their own.

Note: This feature is only available with a paid subscription for Zoom. If you do not see the option it’s because you need to pay for one of Zoom’s premium subscriptions.

First, you’ll need to enable the function in the Zoom Settings (only available on the website).

1. Log into your account on the Zoom web portal. The desktop application does not give us this option.
2. Click on ‘Settings’ on the left side.
   
3. Under the Meetings tab scroll to ‘In Meeting (Basic).’
   
4. Toggle on the option for ‘Co-Host’ (helpful tip: use ctrl+F or cmd+F to quickly find the Co-host setting).

Now, you can add a co-host to your meeting:

1. Tap on the ‘Participants’ tab.
   
2. Click ‘More’ next to the user.
   
3. Click on the option to ‘Make Co-Host.’

Keep in mind, you can use these steps to revoke the users’ co-host privileges as well.

If you’re trying to do this, and you see that the option for Co-host is grayed out, that probably means that you’re not the Zoom administrator, but just a member. You’ll have to reach out to the Zoom administrator.

Alternative Host Feature

Often, even when you plan everything out perfectly, things don’t always turn out the way you want them to. This happens all the time and can be incredibly inconvenient. But that’s why it’s good to have a contingency plan. If there’s a meeting that’s important to the entire team, or an important lesson for students, you want to make sure they don’t miss out.

In this respect, the Alternative Host feature in Zoom can be a lifesaver. One licensed Zoom user can select another licensed user to become the alternative host, for whatever reason. The alternative host will be notified by email and receive all the instructions on how to start the meeting itself.

The alternative host can also receive scheduling privileges, in case they have to make further appointments in the absence of the original host. Here’s how to designate an alternative host in Zoom:

1. Log in to the Zoom on your computer.
2. Select the “Schedule” (calendar icon).
3. Select “Advanced Options.”
4. Type in the name or email address in the “Alternative Host” box.
5. Click on “Schedule” to finish the process.
6. Now the Alternative host will get an email notification that they are the designated replacement.

Pro Tip: if you’re using this feature for a webinar, make sure that the original host has a Zoom webinar add-on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Zoom meetings have become such an important part of our lives over the past year. It’s because of this that we need to be experts on the platform. Here are some more answers to your most frequently asked questions.

Can I have more than one host?

You can add co-hosts to your meeting. Unfortunately, this is a premium feature. You can review Zoom’s pricing here. If you’re a part of an administration, be sure that you’re logged in with the proper credentials to enable the co-host feature.

What happens when the host is disconnected?

If the host is having an internet issue and loses connection, the meeting will continue. In situations where there is a co-host, that person will automatically become the host. But, if no co-host is available, the meeting will continue without the host.

When the host rejoins, their privileges will automatically be restored to the user.

Zoom Makes Hosting More Efficient

There are no certainties in the world of online meetings. Things get moved around all the time, canceled, and technical issues occur. With Zoom, disruption is reduced to a minimum. This includes making sure that hosts can do a better job in the meetings and webinars.

If you need to pass the mantle on to another recipient and leave, no problem. If you need a host or a back-up host, Zoom has your back too. It’s all a matter of a few clicks, and you can breathe a little easier.

Have you ever hosted a meeting or a webinar with Zoom? Let us know in the comments section below.