Zoom users and administrators can decide how long chat messages are stored in the cloud and on local devices. After the specified time period passes, all messages are deleted. The Zoom chat window will display a yellow banner if local messages will be stored for one month or less, notifying members of how long local messages will be stored. If you enable cloud storage, you can view, download, or delete stored chat messages.

Users can delete messages on a local device, but administrators can access these messages on the cloud, depending on how long the cloud storage retention period has been set. There is a maximum storage period of 10 years, and a minimum storage period of one day. On local devices, messages are stored for one year; in the cloud, they are stored for two years. Administrators and account owners can change this setting in chat storage settings, which will affect all users within the account.

Sending the message determines the time frame. As an example, if you choose to delete all messages after 3 days, they will be deleted 3 days after being sent regardless of whether any of the recipient’s devices receive them.

Prerequisites for storage of chat message history

• Accounts with Zoom for a fee
• give account owners or administrators access
• Zoom desktop client 4.1.23108.0402 or later for Windows or macOS
• ZoZoom mobile app 4.1.23117.0402 or higher on Android or iOS

Note: The chat history tool has been moved from Reports to Account Management > Reports > User Activity Reports tab > Chat History when you register for a new Zoom account after August 21, 2021; or if you enable the New Admin Experience on your account.

How to change chat message storage settings

You can specify how long chat messages are stored by changing the settings.

1. Zoom’s web portal requires you to sign in.
2. Select Account Management from the navigation menu.
3. Select one of the following options to access account-level or group-level settings:
   • Click the IM Settings tab to access account-level settings.
   • Select the group name and click Advanced Settings to access group-level settings.
4. Under Storage, change these settings:

• Zoom will automatically save all persistent chat messages to the cloud if this setting is enabled. Choose how long to store messages, then click Save. Zoom will remove all persistent chat messages and their metadata from the cloud at the end of the specified cloud retention period.
  Notes:
  • The retention period is determined by when the message was sent. As an example, if the account administrator decides to delete all messages after 3 days, they will be deleted 3 days after they are sent.
  • Zoom saves 1-on-1 role management permission to Zoom chat messages to the cloud according to the minimum cloud storage retention rule that both parties agree to.
  • Zoom’s group chats and channels save messages to the cloud based on the retention policy of each channel member, not the channel admin. If the channel administrator sets a retention rule of one day, but a channel member sets a retention rule of 30 days, the member can still view messages up to 30 days after they are sent.
  • In the admin portal, free users cannot access their cloud storage (even though it is set to two years by default).
  • When this setting is turned off, messages sent offline will be stored in the cloud for up to 7 days and will be automatically deleted once they have been delivered to their intended recipients.
  • The new policy will only be applied to new messages once this setting is updated. Existing messages will not be affected.
  • You can set cloud storage retention rules independently in master and sub accounts if you have master and sub accounts.
• Zoom will automatically delete all persistent chat messages and their metadata from local device after the specified retention period if this setting is enabled at the account level. Attachments, however, will persist locally. The time period for storing messages on the desktop or mobile device running Zoom can be specified by clicking Save.
  Notes:
  • The setting only applies to internal users of the account admin. External users will not be affected, even if they are chatting with internal users in a channel / group chat owned by internal users.
  • When this sWhen this setting is updated, both existing and new messages will be subject to the new polEdited/deleted messages can be stored in the cloud (only available at the account level): store edited/deleted messages (as well as the original version).an vieWith Zoom’s web portal, you can view, download, or delete stored messages.musCloud Storage must be enabled for this feature to appearArchive messages and files with a third-party archive

Messages can be viewed, downloaded, or deleted if cloud storage is enabled.

Cloud storage – admin chat history tool location rules

In the Zoom web portal, the following scenarios describe how messages are stored in the Chat History tool when Basic and external users are involved.

For messages to be stored in the Chat History tool, the Cloud Storage setting must be enabled on the account

Chat type	Users involved	Which account admin can view the messages in their chat history tool?
1-on-1 chat	Two free users	Not applicable (Neither of them can access chat history using the web portal)
Channel or group chat	Internal free user External paid user	Paid user’s account admin
Channel or group chat	Internal free user External free user External paid user	Paid user’s account admin
Channel or group chat	Internal paid user Two external free users	Paid user’s account admin
Channel or group chat	Internal paid user External paid user	Both paid users’ account admins
Channel or group chat	Internal paid user External free user External paid user	Both paid user’s account admins
1-on-1, channel, or group chat	Internal paid user External free user (added to the paid user’s account and becomes an internal user)	Paid user’s account admin (messages are only stored from the time the free user was added to the paid user’s account)

 

Cloud storage retention rules

The following table shows how long chat messages are stored in the cloud for a variety of scenarios.

Scenario	Users involved and settings enabled	How long are these messages being saved on the cloud?
1-on-1 chat	Two free users	2 years
1-on-1 chat	1 free user 1 paid user with Cloud Storage enabled and 5 year retention period	2 years
1-on-1 chat	1 free user 1 paid user with Cloud Storage disabled	Not stored in the cloud Note: Even when Cloud Storage is turned off, messages sent offline will be stored in the cloud for up to 7 days and auto-deleted.
1-on-1 chat	1 paid user with Cloud Storage enabled and retention period of 4 years 1 paid user with Cloud Storage enabled and retention period of 6  years	4 years
1-on-1	Paid user with Cloud Storage enabled with retention period of 3 years Free user who later is added to another paid account with Cloud Storage enabled and retention period of 5 years	Before free user becomes a paid account user, the messages are saved for 2 years After free user becomes a paid account user, all new messages are saved for 3 years
Channel or group chat	Free user (channel admin) Paid user with Cloud Storage enabled and retention period of 3 years	2 years
Channel or group chat	Free user Paid user (channel admin) with Cloud Storage enabled and retention period of 3 years	3 years
Channel or group chat	Free user Paid user with Cloud Storage enabled and retention period of 3 years Paid user (channel admin) with Cloud Storage disabled	Not stored in the cloud Note: Even when Cloud Storage is turned off, messages sent offline will be stored in the cloud for up to 7 days and auto-deleted.
Channel or group chat	Paid user (original channel admin) with Cloud Storage enabled with retention period of 3 years Free user (new channel admin)	Before free user becomes channel admin, the messages are saved for 3 years After free user becomes channel admin, all new messages are saved for 2 years