How to add co-host to a future meeting

[iheaven2]

How can I add a co-host to a meeting that is happening tomorrow?

[Ray_Harwood]

Co-hosts can’t be pre-assigned.   But assigning them during the meeting isn’t difficult. 

See this Zoom Support article for additional helpful information:

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/206330935-Enabling-and-Adding-a-Co-Host 

[Chitraksh5]

Co-hosts cannot be assigned ahead of time.

They can only be assigned during the meeting. 

During a meeting:

1. Hover over a user's video.

2. Click the ellipsis icon.

3. Click " Make co-host ."

[JanineWard]

I only have the option to "make host" not co-host. Is it only certain Zoom packages that allow co-hosting?

[Bort]

Hi @JanineWard 

Co-hosting must be first enabled in your web Settings, but even then, you may not have that option there, as the ability to set a co-host does require a paid account. You can learn more in this article: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/206330935-Enabling-and-Adding-a-Co-Host

[CLyonsSCS]

Hi. I have the same question as Janine. I read through the article, but I still don't have the co-host button in my account as is described in the article under Meeting (Basic). I have a Pro account and am the owner and admin of the account.  I have no employees so I have no one else in my Zoom Account as a member. I need to have another person be the co-host for an upcoming meeting. 

1) Does the co-host have to be listed as a Member of my organization in my account first?  It looks like with a Pro account, the only way to do this is to upgrade to the Business account in order to add this person to my account for 1 meeting. Is that correct or is there another easier way? It is only for 1 meeting. 

[Ray_Harwood]

Welcome to the Zoom Community, @CLyonsSCS.

Co-Hosts cannot be assigned in advance.  Only someone already in your meeting can be made a Co-Host.  Give them the meeting Join link, then pull up the Participant window and make them Co-Host:

If you have an "outsider" that you want to be able to start your meeting without you... that's a different issue that would be best handled in your case by using the Host Key.  This Zoom Support article has details:

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/205172555-Using-your-host-key

Note that the meeting must be set to NOT require a Waiting Room, and to allow Join Before Host (I recommend the 15 minute setting).  Your assistant, in possession of your host key, can join the meeting and click the Claim Host button from the Participants window and enter the Key, at which time they will Become the meeting host. 

[CLyonsSCS]

Thanks, Ray.  If I add a 2nd license to my Pro account and give that to the "external" person - which then makes her an "internal" / user in my group, then will I see her listed as a Co Host once the Zoom meeting starts?  We need to both have hosting/co-hosting capability during the meeting.  We've practiced with a Zoom session and when I try to change her in the Participant list to co-host, that option doesn't come up for me. I read through the Host Key info you supplied - thank you - and that won't work for our meeting b/c both of us need to be host/co-host during the full meeting. I am hopeful that if I add another license to my Pro plan, that will take care of it and I will then be able to choose her as co-host when the meeting starts? 

[Ray_Harwood]

@CLyonsSCS,

First, I'm relying on the fact that your account is indeed Pro (Licensed) and not Basic.  Basic accounts can't designate Co-Hosts.

So under the assumption that you are a Pro account and not seeing the Co-Host menu option, please check your Account (Admin menu) and User (Personal menu) settings to ensure that the Co-Host option is enabled.  Details are in this Zoom Support article (it's unlikely you have any Group designations, but if you do, that is also included here):

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/206330935-Enabling-and-Adding-a-Co-Host

If this is not enabled, enable it and try again to designate someone as Co-Host in a meeting (a test meeting would do).

If you enable it (or it is already enabled) and you still do not see the Make Co-Host option in the participant's menu options, you might need to submit a Support Ticket:

Submit Support Ticket: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/requests/new 

Beyond all of that... there are other advantages to having your helper on your account, but the obvious disadvantages are there's an extra cost involved (which in my opinion is small and worth the expense), and that this person will now potentially have more than one account to work with, and will require a separate email address for yours.

The advantage of having this person on your account as a Licensed user on your organizational account is that you could enable Scheduling Privilege between each other.  With this in place, she can start the meeting if you are absent or late, and if you arrive before she does, she will be automatically designated a Co-Host when she enters the session. (This surprised me the first time I saw it in action!)

Let me know if any of this helps... or if it just brings up more questions! 🤔

[CLyonsSCS]

Thank you SO much for all of this info.  Yes, I've had a Pro account for my business for several years, but this is the first I've needed a co-host. I initially checked the Admin section but your instructions helped me pinpoint exactly where I needed to find the Co-host button.  I was able to test it with my colleague just now and it worked!  Thank you again so much. I was stressing about the upcoming session, but now that we've tested it and it worked, my stress if gone. Really appreciate your thorough input. 

[Ray_Harwood]

Happy to help, @CLyonsSCS!

[DeeCooke]

Hi Ray,

Thank you for the information.

I did everything you wrote here but some how when I try to enter to a meeting as participant and not the host it still brings a different kind of waiting room window.  I haven't been to join the meeting to use the host key at all. What can I do please?

Dee