Camera auto focusing while Zoom meeting

[Punya]

how to stop camera auto focusing while Zoom meeting ?
I do use Apple 5s and Samsung M21A both have the same problem!
specially as a teacher when I'm writing on the white board the camera still focused on me..

thanks for any valuable solutions 🙂

[RN]

Hey @Punya, for your Samsung M21A device, if found this at "Galaxy phone or tablet camera does not focus on the subject" try to open the Camera app and tap the Settings icon. Tap the switch next to Tracking auto-focus to turn it off. However, I'm not sure if this setting applies to just the Samsung Camera or all applications that use your Samsung camera. 

Same for iPhone, you can hold down while in the Camera application, and you will see AF Locked. However, after testing in a meeting, after messing with turning on/off the autofocus on the iPhone Camera app, it seems like it didn't apply to my meeting. 

If you switch back and forth from your front camera to your back camera, Zoom autofocus automatically, and it seems like this isn't a feature we support at this time from my discovery. If you want to submit this to zoom.us/feed, we hope to implement it in the near future!

[Punya]

Thank you @RN 

[RN]

Happy to help, @Punya! If you discover any workaround or any third-party tool, don't hesitate to share, and welcome to the community! 👋

[Punya]

I'm bought a new Web Cam (Logitech C930e) and still same problem, but nit much like with as mobile phones.

[RN · Accepted solution]

Hey @Punya, with a Logitech camera you can open the Logitech Webcam software

and get Logitech Capture and I believe from there you can control your autofocus and camera settings. This wouldn't be a Zoom problem and configuration, unfortunately. 

[Punya]

Thank you very much ❤️

[nidapie]

How do I avoid camera from focusing while on zoom?

[RN]

Hi @nidapie, unfortunately, that is dependent on your camera and not a Zoom setting. However, in your Zoom settings > Video, changing the 'Adjust for low light' setting may help with the focus.

[RonnBlack]

The Logitech Webcam Software can be used to change focus mode but but everytime Zoom starts again it reset's the camera to autofocus. I want a way to tell Zoom just leave my camera settings alone.

[AzaliaCoda]

Replying to Punya's post: This is happening on my iPad as well. This never happened before. I am seeing this happening to my friends as well. We use sign language and this is messing up our conversations, and worse this is making some of us sick (motion sickness). This also has interfered with my work. Last week this did not happen. I am assuming there was something done in a recent update. Please remove or turn off this setting in Zoom. This is not happening anywhere else (other apps). I have looked all over the Zoom app settings and can't find how to turn this new feature off. I have Logitech on my PC at home and it has a button to turn off auto-focus. This issue. needs to be fixed ASAP.

With more research apparently, what I learned the issue I am having is a problem with Apple products called Center Stage. I bought a new iPad Air 5th Generation and I cannot find how to turn it off. The odd thing though I am seeing it happen to a few others, especially during a Zoom meeting.

[RN]

Hi @AzaliaCoda the 'focusing' your camera comes from your device configuration, not through Zoom. As there is no video settings based on the focusing of your devices camera. 

[GuidoMallardi]

Sorry, but that's not true. Indeed, by searching for "zoom app autofocus" on Google one realises several people have the same problem and they tried to fix it from the camera settings/app without success. E.g.:
"Changing the focus to manual in the Camera app is immediately overridden by Zoom to autofocus every time that a Zoom meeting is started"
from
https://superuser.com/questions/1557612/how-to-disable-autofocus-in-zoom-windows

I have the same problem on my iPad mini (2016). On the camera app I have tried holding my finger on the screen to get AE/AF locked and that works, but just on the camera app itself... When I enter a Zoom meeting with my iPad mini the autofocus problem comes up anyway, meaning this is a problem with Zoom, or Zoom-iPad compatibility. In either cases it is expected that Zoom team fixes this problem, not Apple. And it is a major problem...

It is really upsetting the fact that this has not been solved yet.

I am a paying Zoom customer, I record Zoom meetings to publish them on my website. I have been using iPad camera because of its good quality and I do not want Zoom to ruin it.
Therefore, I am thinking of switching to something more professional, if this issue is not solved with the next software update.