Can I create a Private audio conversation between 2 attendees at a group meeting? | Community
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August 22, 2023
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Can I create a Private audio conversation between 2 attendees at a group meeting?

  • August 22, 2023
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I've been using Zoom for several years for private and group meetings.  I'd like to hold education webinars using Zoom and I want to know if it's possible to set up this scenario:

I host a small group of 3 students in a Zoom meeting (I'm the 4th person). 

2 students begin working on a task - on-screen - using their webcams to show what they are doing. 

The third student is only an observer.  I am the host. 

While the 2 students are working on the task together - on-screen, I'd like to discuss (verbally) their progress with the third student who is the observer.  I want our audio conversation to NOT BE HEARD by the 2 students working on their task.

How do I make this happen?  Is this even possible? 

I do not want to use 'break out rooms' because I need all of us to remain in one "room" while the task is being completed.  Any advice and suggestions would be much appreciated.

 

Best answer by Ray_Harwood

So I did a quick test, without the results I'd hoped for.  I have one of my assistant users (Zoom1) in a meeting with me, and when I click on them in my Contacts or Team Chat window, this is the menu I get:

Obviously I don't want to invite them into a meeting... they're already there. All of the ones below Phone Call are not helpful.

 

The only option then is Phone Call.  Note that this assumes you have Zoom Phone; if you don't, you can certainly have a regular (outside of Zoom) phone call.

 

The issue here with Zoom Phone is that -- while Zoom will allow you to remain attached to the meeting (the Zoom video screen will still be visible) -- your audio will disconnect from the meeting while you make the call.  (The Zoom app can only connect one audio pair [mic and speaker/headphone] to one Zoom app.)  So -- if you don't need to maintain audible contact with your working students while you converse with your observer -- this could work. (They can raise their hand or use Meeting Chat to signal if they need something.)

When you exit the call, you simply reconnect your audio to the meeting using the Join Audio button, located where your Mute/Unmute button usually sits:

 

None of this is "super easy" or ideal.  You've got a pretty atypical use case here, and it's unlikely (but not impossible!) that Zoom will develop some approach that would work for you.  I've thought of a few different/additional approaches... all of which are similarly complex or involve additional hardware/software expense.

2 replies

Ray_Harwood
Community Super Champion | Customer
Ray_Harwood
Community Super Champion | Customer
August 22, 2023

Hi, @CdnZoomer.

 

Sorry, but there's no way to have a personal audio conversation with one person within Zoom.

 

There are a number of apps or tools you can use to chat separately outside of Zoom.  I sometimes use Discord to have separate outside conversations with hosts of multiple session simultaneously.  It doesn't cost anything, but does require both people to learn a little about Discord. It's not difficult -- but if either of you never used it before, there is a learning curve.

 

Sounds like you really want to be using audio... I was going to recommend in meeting chat.  There is a possible way using Zoom's Team Chat "Meet without Video" menu option, but I'd need to test it out before recommending it.  

C
Newcomer
CdnZoomerAuthor
Newcomer
August 22, 2023

Thank you Ray.  I appreciate your quick response to my question.

If you test out "Meet Without Video" menu option in Zoom's Team Chat, please let me know the results.  

Ray_Harwood
Community Super Champion | Customer
Ray_HarwoodAnswer
Community Super Champion | Customer
August 22, 2023

So I did a quick test, without the results I'd hoped for.  I have one of my assistant users (Zoom1) in a meeting with me, and when I click on them in my Contacts or Team Chat window, this is the menu I get:

Obviously I don't want to invite them into a meeting... they're already there. All of the ones below Phone Call are not helpful.

 

The only option then is Phone Call.  Note that this assumes you have Zoom Phone; if you don't, you can certainly have a regular (outside of Zoom) phone call.

 

The issue here with Zoom Phone is that -- while Zoom will allow you to remain attached to the meeting (the Zoom video screen will still be visible) -- your audio will disconnect from the meeting while you make the call.  (The Zoom app can only connect one audio pair [mic and speaker/headphone] to one Zoom app.)  So -- if you don't need to maintain audible contact with your working students while you converse with your observer -- this could work. (They can raise their hand or use Meeting Chat to signal if they need something.)

When you exit the call, you simply reconnect your audio to the meeting using the Join Audio button, located where your Mute/Unmute button usually sits:

 

None of this is "super easy" or ideal.  You've got a pretty atypical use case here, and it's unlikely (but not impossible!) that Zoom will develop some approach that would work for you.  I've thought of a few different/additional approaches... all of which are similarly complex or involve additional hardware/software expense.

    F
    Community Champion | Customer
    Frank_TB
    Community Champion | Customer
    August 22, 2023

    Hello,

     

    How vital is it that your communication with the observer be via audio?

     

    All of what you want can be done via private messaging  (text) in the Zoom meeting.

     

    Zoom supports public and private texts in the meeting chat.

     

    Ray had outlined the other limitations very well.

     

     

    Regards

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

    ,

     

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