Newcomer

Question

"Share DOC Privately" missing f

Forum|Forum|1 month ago
March 4, 2026
5 replies
92 views

For sharing docs in a meeting, there used to be two options: share in the meeting (so, all participants can see the document) and “Share Privately,” so you could view a Zoom doc and edit it, but not have to share it in the meeting. This option has disappeared for me. Does anyone know how to get it back? It was very useful because I’m a music instructor and I would keep the document open on my screen for the entire lesson and make notes, but now the student also has to have it open on his or her screen, which is annoying.

H

Host INTL

Newcomer

I really want to know the answer to this too. It was SO helpful to be able to view a shared document privately.

S

Sh3rylanne

New Member

Yes! I was wondering what happened to that! I loved taking notes on it while the presentation was ongoing

any update on this?!

H

Hannah Kuhn

Newcomer

Take a look at the reply below - they removed the Share Doc Privately feature (no reason why given). You can use the new AI My notes to take notes during a Zoom meeting, but if you want to reference old notes that you created before the meeting, you can’t pull them up and view them privately. It's submitted feedback to Zoom. Maybe if we all do, there’s a snowball’s chance they’ll restore that feature.

H

Hannah Kuhn

Newcomer

I’m so upset that I can no longer view my notes/docs during a live meeting! The only option appears to be Share with all participants. Teachers need to be able to use lessons/notes that only they can see. THIS IS NOT AN IMPROVEMENT.

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Hannah Kuhn

Newcomer

Hello Zoom Support: Is anyone tracking this problem? You’re going to find a lot of online teachers leaving Zoom and looking for a new platform that is more user friendly if you don’t fix this!

aluyun

Community Manager

Hello Community Members,

I’m sorry for the late response. According to our investigation, the Share Privately feature of Zoom doc was removed last February 9, 2026. We are sorry for the inconvenience that this has caused.

If you’d like to formally request the return of the Share Privately feature and the addition of a Download option, you can check this article on how to submit feedback. Submissions are forwarded to our Product team and reviewed by our engineers. Please keep in mind that feature requests may take time to be evaluated, tested, and implemented.

H

Hannah Kuhn

Newcomer

Thank you for your reply. It’s VERY DISAPPOINTING to have lost this functionality. It will negatively impact my teaching (which is how I earn my living). I submitted feedback requesting the return of this ESSENTIAL function asap, as you recommended.

aluyun

Community Manager

Hello Community Members,

You might want to try this work around. If you’d like to view a document privately while presenting, you can do so by using the this screen sharing option:

Share only a specific window

Click Share Screen
Select only the application/window you want participants to see (e.g., your PowerPoint or browser)
Do NOT select “Entire Screen”

This way, anything else you open (like your private document) will remain visible only to you and won’t be shared with participants.

Additional tips:

If you’re using two monitors, you can place your private document on one screen and share the other screen/app.
You can also use Presenter View in PowerPoint, where:
- The audience sees the slideshow
- You see your notes and other content privately.
  
  I hope this helps. Have a great day!

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