Automatic hand lowering feature is unhelpful and problematic

I (and many others in the meetings I attend) are very dissatisfied with the new behavior where Zoom automatically lowers a raised hand a few seconds after someone finishes speaking.

This is disruptive in meeting formats where raised hands are used to queue speakers or indicate ongoing interest, such as in our large Fellowship. Participants are frustrated because their hands drop, breaking order and flow.

We respectfully ask Zoom to:

1. Provide a setting or toggle (at the meeting or account level) to disable automatic lowering of hands.

2. At minimum, give hosts the option to control this behavior instead of forcing it universally.

Zoom is a leading platform because it respects diverse meeting styles. Please prioritize this fix so users don’t feel forced to look at alternatives.

Thank you.