Alternative Hosts Unable to start recording

[Vjones]

Zoom claims that if I add a person as an alternative host, that they have the same access to the meeting that I do, which should include starting a cloud recording. I have given my teammembers access to schedule for me, because the generic text says that is required. 

My goal is to create a recurring meeting with mulitiple team members where they can join at anytime, without me present, and record portions of the meeting.  In Other Words, I do not want to assign a Co-host, as that would require me to attend every meeting just to join, assing a co-host and leave. 

I want to add my teammembers as Alternative hosts, so that at any time, whoever is in the meeting room can start a Cloud Recording while they are there.   

The problem is that ZOOM does not seem to behave consistently.  Please see my list of circumstances:

I have created multipe meetings and each seems to operate differently:

1. The first meeting, I created, and then, I added a team member as an alternative host. When she used the meeting room, it told her she needed the Hosts Permission to record.   1-Answer - Turns out the teammember had been logging into her personal zoom account and when she used our secure login portal, it allowed her to record. She doesn't seem to have had any issue since. 

2. The same meeting room, but a new member was added as an alternative host, but Zoom would not let her record either. said she needed host permission. If I joined the meeting, it defaulted to me as host, and asked to assign a co-host, but she should have been able to join alone and record.  2 - A  I Created an entirely NEW Meeting Room and added her as Alternative Host. She has been able to record  

3. The Same Meeting Room.  Two other members had been added to the Alternative Host List, but at this point I assumed that Alternative Hosts status is not granted unless the meeting is initially SCHEDULED with them as the Alt-Host.  So, I created a 3rd Meeting Room and added these additional two team members.  3-A.  We just did a training tonight and they had NO trouble joining the meeting with the link. They each joined separately and each were able to start a cloud recording on their own. 

2-2 - This evening I got several notifications from the team member in the second situation who is now saying that Zoom will no longer allow her to record, using the same meeting room link, without the hosts permission.  I have NOT edited anything about that meeting room since her sucessful recording last week, but now it won't let her record. 

Being able to start a Cloud Recording is a vital requirement for the work we are about to start and I am unable to find anything on the zoom website or elsewhere that can explain why I my team members are unable to start a Cloud Recording even though they are listed sucessfully as Alternative Hosts. 

I have asked for help with IT but all they did was copy and Paste Zooms own instructions about how Alternative Hosting Should work, but it is NOT working. Any suggestions  will be appreciated and tried at least once. 

Thank you. 

[Jameswalter]

If another participant would like to record, the host will need to provide permission to that participant during the meeting. The host will need to join the meeting to give the other participant recording permission, or set the participant up as an alternative host.

Regards,
James

[Vjones]

Thank You. This is not helpful because:

"My goal is to create a recurring meeting with mulitiple team members where they can join at anytime, without me present, and record portions of the meeting.  In Other Words, I do not want to assign a Co-host, as that would require me to attend every meeting just to join, assing a co-host and leave. "

And according to Zoom Support, 

"An Alternative Host is a user who has pre-defined permission to act as the host instead of the person who schedules the meeting. Alternative Hosts share the same administrative controls as those of Co-Hosts; and can also start the meeting on behalf of the scheduler."

In Other Words, Alternative Hosts SHOULD be able to record just like an assigned Co-Host, as they were given host status, not DURING the meeting like a Co-Host, but at the time the meeting was Scheduled. 

[IncludeSec_Nick]

I am experiencing the exact same issue. I schedule personnel interviews, and the alternate hosts have intermittent problems recording. We get the "Please ask the host to give you permission to record" error.

[Vjones]

Hi, 

What seemed to solve the problem was using the link sent by zoom at the time of the initial alternate host set up.   Have them check through their inbox, and look for the message from zoom that says "FirstName LastName invites you to join a Zoom meeting as alternative host"  . In that email, there will be a link to join the meeting as the host.

NO other links will allow that person to enter that room with Host capacity.  If they were to use the regular invitation, they would also not enter as host and would be prompted to get permission. 

It also appears that if a person is invited to be host to various different rooms, they will have to use That specific appropriate link, sent via each email, alerting them of their Alt Host Status, to enter that  particular room EACH time if they want to retain host status on subsequent meetings.  

No where on any of the zoom help pages does it mention this very simple piece of information. I was helped by a wonder real person over the phone.  

I hope that this will also be the solution to the recording alt host issue for you as well.  

[TallPoppies2023]

Hi there, 

This is so helpful - I've been pulling my hair out!   Thanks so much.  To add onto this query.   How do I set up my account, so that the chosen 'co-host' receives the email you mention (with the host link)  for the meeting.  

Is it possible to have this email also sent to me (as the host / my Zoom account), so I can add the appropriate link in the cohost calendar for the call?  

Appreciate you help here.  Many thanks!

[Vjones]

As far as I know, Zoom sends the email automatically when the meeting is created, when you add their name as the Alternative Host. . It is automatically generated, so I don't know how you would get the "link" from the email except to have the recipient forward the message back to you.  

If they use a generic link, other than the one sent in the auto generated email, they will NOT be host and wil have to request permission like a co-host instead of getting assigned as the Alternate Host.   I am unsure if anyone but that person would be allowed to Alt Host if they used the link because it requires you to sign in, but it might be worth testing. 

HTH. 

[TallPoppies2023]

ok that's good to know!  thanks so much - I'm on the search for those emails and will run tests! Appreciate your quick response.     🙂

[nlhayes]

This is so helpful. But did you have to reschedule the meeting (start over), or delete then re-add the alternative host(s) to regenerate the email?

[Vjones]

Unless they deleted it, the email should still be in their inbox. they can just search for "alternative host" and scroll through the search results. That's what we did. Once we ound it, pinned it to the top of my email messages. 

I don't know if deleting and then adding will generate a new host email. I don't have anyone available to test that with, but it couldn't hurt to try if searching through the inbox brings up nothing. I would try that before generating a totally new meeting, if you have already given out the meeting details others. 

[nlhayes]

There was no evidence an email was received. I just deleted then added the alternate host, and she received the email. The link opens and now shows the recording option. But .. the link is identical to the one we've been using for months, so it's still confusing.

But the information you provided was the key to fixing the problem. Thanks for your perseverance and sharing your information.

[Vjones]

Thanks for letting us know that re-adding will send another email. This will be very helpful to others coming to solve the same issue. Now I know I can do the same if someone accidentally deletes their host email (It happens, LOL). 

I think the link is the same but the permissions are different and that is something on the client side of Zoom.  One time I used the link to join my own meeting , rather than going through the zoom website, and it gave me a warning about being taking over as host and required me signing it, so it "knows". 

Thanks for being part of this collaborative effort!  

[IncludeSec_Nick]

Thank you @Vjones !!