Can the host disable the extra floating video thumbnail for participants when using PowerPoint as Virtual Background? | Community
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F
Newcomer
fahimghauri.uq
Newcomer
July 16, 2026
Question

Can the host disable the extra floating video thumbnail for participants when using PowerPoint as Virtual Background?

  • July 16, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 52 views

I am using Share → More → PowerPoint as Virtual Background because I want my webcam video to appear inside the PowerPoint slides.

However, participants see two instances of my video:

  1. My presenter video embedded within the PowerPoint slide.
  2. An additional floating/speaker video thumbnail outside the slide (typically in the top-right corner).

My goal is for all participants, regardless of device or operating system (Windows, macOS, Android, iPhone, Web) to see only the presenter video embedded in the slides, without the extra floating video.

My questions are:

  • Is there any host, account, or admin setting that disables the additional floating video for participants?
  • If not, is this the expected behavior of Zoom's PowerPoint as Virtual Background feature?
  • Has Zoom announced any planned enhancement or workaround for this limitation?

I would appreciate confirmation from Zoom staff or anyone who has successfully achieved this.

1 reply

L
Employee
lancetlc
Employee
July 30, 2026

Hey ​@fahimghauri.uq 

 

Is There a Host, Account, or Admin Setting to Disable the Extra Floating Video?

No. There is no host, account, or admin setting that disables the additional floating presenter video thumbnail for participants while using PowerPoint as Virtual Background. The available admin controls cover enabling or disabling Virtual Backgrounds generally, but do not change how participants' clients render the presenter's video during this feature.

 

Is This Expected Behavior?

Yes, this is expected behavior based on Zoom's current implementation.

The PowerPoint as Virtual Background feature composites the presenter into the slides and provides controls such as "Resize My Video" and "Split Video from Slides." However, there is no option to force participants to see only the embedded presenter and suppress the separate floating video thumbnail on their client.

The rendering is determined by the participant's client, not by a host-controlled setting. This means participants on unsupported or older clients may see a normal screen share with the video handled separately.

Participant experience can also vary by device and OS (Windows, macOS, Android, iPhone, Web), which means achieving a uniform view across all platforms is not currently possible through host settings.

 

Has Zoom Announced Any Planned Enhancement or Workaround?

No public announcement or roadmap item has been found for this limitation. The officially documented workarounds are:

  • "Resize My Video" — Reposition or resize the embedded presenter video within the slides.
  • "Split Video from Slides" — Send the camera as a separate video stream instead of compositing it into the slides.
  • Consider Zoom's Presenter Layouts — These may offer alternative presentation formats depending on your use case.
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