Turn OFF asinine auto-framing

[GHS]

There's some debate as to who's responsible for this fiasco. Zoom blames Apple, but an article I linked to below says that Zoom integrated the "feature."

Regardless, I resent this defective "feature" being forced on people by default. Now, every week, I only see ONE of my parents on screen because of this monumentally inept design. It's not just that this feature is mind-bogglingly defective, but that it should never have been activated without user approval.

Apple, like any developer, needs to think about users when making design decisions. If you roll out a "feature" and enable it by default, a large number of users will be stuck with it permanently. I am 2500 miles away from my parents, who use Zoom on an iPhone. They do not know what obscure control on that tiny screen will provide access to buried settings like this auto-zooming, and in the limited time we have for our conversations I don't want to spend half of it trying to blindly help my mom hunt through them... which winds up with everyone irritated and my parents feeling like it's their fault.

Stop making stupid, anti-customer decisions, Apple.

[Frank_TB · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Let's try to turn this into a fact based conversation, instead of a rant.

Zoom is not responsible for the framing that you are complaining about. Zoom does not have this functionality.

Apple devices that are new enough use a technology called Centre Stage.

Center Stage uses machine learning to adjust the camera on your Apple device expanding and zooming so you stay in the frame during video calls even when you move around or have others join or leave.

More details on Apple’s support site can be found here:

https://support.apple.com/en-al/guide/ipad/ipad8a4e77c5/ipados 

Regards

If my reply helped, don't forget to click the accept as solution button!

[Frank_TB · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Let's try to turn this into a fact based conversation, instead of a rant.

Zoom is not responsible for the framing that you are complaining about. Zoom does not have this functionality.

Apple devices that are new enough use a technology called Centre Stage.

Center Stage uses machine learning to adjust the camera on your Apple device expanding and zooming so you stay in the frame during video calls even when you move around or have others join or leave.

More details on Apple’s support site can be found here:

https://support.apple.com/en-al/guide/ipad/ipad8a4e77c5/ipados 

Regards

If my reply helped, don't forget to click the accept as solution button!

[GHS]

Thanks, but that's not how this functionality is documented on the Zoom site, which says:

1. Open Device Settings.
2. Open the Audio & video Menu.
3. Select radio button next Auto framing to enable/disable the feature.
4. Select the preferred framing option (Group or Individual) when feature is enabled.

I withdraw the complaint against Zoom if it's not to blame (although I've never seen this behavior in any other application), but then the documentation should be corrected.

[Frank_TB · Accepted solution]

Apple Center Stage works automatically when activated in software titles like;

• Facebook Messenger
• FiLMiC Pro
• Google Meet
• Microsoft Teams
• Skype
• Slack
• Zoom
• Webex

on compatible devices.

Please share a link to the documentation you are referencing that states Zoom has this ability.

Regards

[GHS]

This is the top result if you search for "turn off zoom auto framing" https://community.zoom.com/t5/Meetings/Turning-off-Zoom-Auto-Tracking/m-p/92484

[Frank_TB]

Hello,

In that thread the device beeing discussed and doing the auto framing is called a Neat Bar. 

Neat Bar is a product for video conferencing that can be used for Zoom, but the Neat bar is doing the framing, not Zoom.

Regards

[GHS]

I may have to rescind my apology, since it appears from this article that Zoom is responsible for this behavior in its own app.