Zoom has released a number of important bug fixes, security changes, and feature improvements over the last few months. We strongly encourage you to update to the latest version available for your device at your earliest convenience. At a minimum, everyone should be using at least version 5.3 going forward (and the latest update to version 5.0 for Chrome OS, released September 21st).
Some Zoom features require all participants to have updated to the latest version to participate in these features (e.g., self-select breakout rooms). If you are planning on using any new features in your class, please ask your students to update to the latest version in advance.
New features
- Self-select Breakout Rooms (participants can move among rooms on their own)
- Display up to 49 participants per screen in Gallery View
- Custom gallery view organization (rearrange participant locations in Gallery View)
- Multi-pin and multi-spotlight to identify primary speakersImproved audio quality
- Remind me () minutes before my upcoming meeting
Performance on Chrome OS
Chromebook users may have seen performance issues related to the older version not being optimized for older devices. The extension was updated for the first time since May on September 21. Please make sure you have removed the old extension and installed the new one from the Chrome Web Store.
Importance of logging in
Logging into your College Zoom account is critical to ensuring you are not placed into a Waiting Room inadvertently.
Preferred Name
Previously, when a person logged into Zoom, their legal name would be displayed. A person could change their name to a preferred name for a single session, but the change would be reset each time they logged in. We have made a change so that Zoom now uses preferred first names for all individuals who have specified a preferred name in Workday. If a person does not have a preferred name specified in Workday, their legal name will appear as usual.
If you have any questions or need help, please contact the Help Desk at helpdesk@wellesley.edu or 781-283-3333 (fac/staff) / 781-283-7777 (students).
