Sending a screen capture, file, reaction, or audio in Zoom
Zoom chat lets you send text, screenshots, images, files, audio messages, emojis, and chat reactions to a contact or group. You can use these features with encrypted and unencrypted chats. Zoom’s desktop client and mobile app also allow you to send and play video files through chat.
The maximum file size supported is 512MB.
Prerequisites for sending a screen capture, file, reaction, or audio message
Screen capture, file transfer, and reactions
- The Zoom desktop client requires version 5.2.0 or higher for Windows, macOS, or Linux
- The Zoom mobile app for Android and iOS requires version 5.2.0 or higher
- for admins to enable the chat feature
Audio messages
- Zoom desktop client
- Windows: version 5.2.0 or higher
- macOS: version 5.2.0 or higher
- Linux: version 5.7.0 or higher
- Zoom mobile app for Android or iOS: version 5.2.0 or higher
Windows | macOS
- Sign in to the Zoom desktop app.
- Open the chat where you need to send the screenshot, image, or file. You can start a new chat with these methods:
- Click the Add icon next to Recent to start a new chat with one of your contacts.
- Under Recent, click a contact to view chat history and continue to chat with them. Contacts have a status icon before their name.
- Under Recent, click a channel (indicated by the group icon before the name) to view the channel’s chat history and send messages to channel members.
- On the Contacts tab hover over a contact’s name and click the chat icon
. - Follow one of the sections below based on what you want to send:
Screenshot
- View a screenshot of the chat box above.
- Select the portion of the screen that you want to capture, and then annotate it with arrows, lines, boxes, or text.
- Hit the Capture button. You will see the content in your chat window after you have captured it.
- (Optional) Add a caption to the screenshot.
- Click Send.
File
- Drag the file to the chat box by clicking and dragging it.
- Choose a file source.
If your admin has enabled file sharing integrations, you can also select a third-party service. - Navigate to the file system and select the file.
If you want to cancel the upload, click * when the file is uploaded. - Enter any accompanying text, if necessary.
- Hit the send button.
If the file is sent successfully, a green checkbox will appear in the chat window. If the file is an image, it will appear directly in the chat window.
Note: If you send a video file, the recipient can watch the video directly in the chat window.
Audio message
- Above the chat box, click Audio Message.
Zoom will begin recording audio. - To record a message, use your default microphone. Up to 60 seconds can be recorded..
- Send the message by clicking the send icon.
Reaction
In the chat box, type Happy Birthday. The reaction will appear briefly in your chat window.
Linux
- Open the Zoom desktop application and sign in.
- You will need to open the chat where the file, screenshot, or image needs to be sent. There are several ways for you to start a chat:
- In order to start a new conversation with one of your contacts, you have to click the Add icon next to Recent.
- Click on a contact in Recent in order to view all the chat history between you and that contact. There is an icon next to each contact’s name that signifies their status.
- You may find a channel’s chat history under Recent by clicking the group icon before the channel name. From there, you can send messages to members of that channel.
- You can chat with any of your contacts by hovering over their names and clicking the chat button in the Contacts tab
- Tab Choose which section you wish to send from below:
Screenshot
- You can see the screenshot by clicking “Screenshot”.
- Using the mouse, click on the part of your screen that you wish to capture and drag it around to capture it.
- Click the Send button. In your chat window, you will see the desired content after it has been captured.
File
- File can be accessed by clicking above the chat box, or by dragging and dropping the file.
- Select the source of the file.
- Locate the file you wish to send and select it.
If you want to cancel the upload, click * after the file is uploaded. - Once the selected file has been sent, click Open.
If the file was sent successfully, a green checkbox will appear in the chat window. A picture will show up directly within the chat window if the file was sent as an image.
Audio message
- Select Audio Message from the chat box.
Zoom will record a message. - Record your message using your default microphone. You can record audio messages of up to 60 seconds.
- Send the message by clicking the Send icon.
Reaction
The chat box above is the place to type Happy Birthday. As soon as you type Happy Birthday, an immediate reaction will be displayed to you.
Android
- Log in to Zoom on your mobile device.
- If you want to send a screenshot, image, or file, you should open the chat window where you need to send it. The following are some ways to start a new chat:
- In the top-right corner of the screen that appears when you tap the pencil icon, you can edit the location.
- Tap Contacts, then tap the name of the contact you wish to chat with.
Screenshot
Taking a screenshot with your device is the first step necessary to send a screenshot. Once you have taken the picture, you can follow the steps below to send the image.
Image
- By tapping the plus sign, you can add to your list.
- Select Photo Album from the list.
- To select each image, you will need to tap on its circle.
- Then tap Done.
It will send the images to the selected contact or channel as soon as you tap Done.
Camera photo
- To add a new line, tap it.
- Select the Take a Photo option.
- You can use the built-in camera on your phone to take a photo.
- Click Send or Retake to send the photo.
A copy of the photo is sent immediately to that person or channel.
File
- Click the plus sign
- And select Send a File.
- Choose the file to send.
- Locate the file and tap it. Zoom will ask you to sign in and grant access to your account via Zoom if you choose a third-party service such as Dropbox.
- Click the Send button.
- A box will appear in the chat window indicating that the file was successfully sent with the name of the file and a checkbox.
Note: Video files can be played directly in the chat window if you send them.
Audio message
- On the right side of the chat box, tap the audio message icon.
- You can record audio by tapping and holding the microphone icon.
- To send a message or stop recording, you can release the icon.
Reaction
Fill out the chat box with Happy Birthday. You will see the reaction in your chat box.
IOS
- Log in to the Zoom app on your mobile device.
- Please open the chat in which the screenshot, image, or file you need to send should be sent. The following methods can be used to start a new chat:
- On the Meet & Chat screen, tap the pencil symbol in the top-right corner.
- Tap on Contacts, then tap on the name of the contact.
Screenshot
It is necessary to take a screenshot utilizing your device’s settings in order to send a screenshot, and the process is outlined below for the process of sending a screenshot. It is generally a good idea to simultaneously press the power button and the home button on most devices. The power and volume up buttons have to be pressed at the same time on the iPhone X.
Image
- The plus sign should be held down.
- Click on the Photo Album tab.
- Select each image by touching the circle in the middle of it.
- Then tap Done.
- You can add text as an addition to the screenshot (optional).
- Simply tap send to send the screenshot.
Camera photo
- Select + to add a picture
- And then tap Take a picture.
- Using the phone’s built-in camera, you can take a picture using the camera on the phone.
- Alternatively, you can choose to retake the picture.
- If you want to add any text to go with the screenshot, you can do that here as well.
- Click “Send” to send your message.
File
- Tap on the plus sign.
- You will then be able to select Send a File from the list.
- Tap the location of the file you wish to send.
- After you have selected the file, tap the send button.
- In the text box, you can type any accompanying text.
- You can send the message by tapping the “send” button.
When it has been successfully sent, it will appear in a chat window with the file name and a checkbox above it to indicate that it has been successfully sent.
Note: It will be possible for the recipients to watch a video by sending a file directly into the chat window if the message contains a video.
Audio message
- You can send a voice message by tapping the speaker icon located just above the chat box.
- In order to record a voice message, hold down the microphone icon.
- Swipe up if you want to stop the recording, or release the icon to send a message.
Reaction
Tap Happy Birthday on the chat box to wish your friend a happy birthday. You will see the reaction in the chat box for a short time.