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.

[Mudd]

Not sure this will apply to you but I have a similar issue which started with Zoom and Whatsapp which I started noticing within the last couple of months on Android \ Samsung S23 phone.  With Whatsapp, there use to be a tiny floating setting button to manage video settings within the video call such as Autoframe and backgrounds. With latest Android update, the setting was nowhere to be found in the app and I recently noticed Autoframe is also turned on within Zoom but there's not way to turn this off in the app settings.  Searching many many forums resulted with no solution until I found a response on the Samsung forums suggesting to slide down on the notification bar at the top twice during a video call or meeting and lord and behold video and microphone setting are there and I can finally turn off the Autoframe. So in my case it was Google \ Android (or Samsung) making illogical decision on design when this type of setting control should be within the app and not the operating system.  What Google should have done is create a floating setting button similar to the way Whatsapp had it before which can be easily accessible during a call and not hidden. Hope this will helps get you to the solution.

[GHS]

Thanks for that. I had my mom turn off this crap at the OS level, but now it has suddenly been reactivated.

Because it's incredibly disruptive and aggravating to all parties to try to coach someone to explore terrible UI on a tiny screen 2400 miles away, we now just have to suffer with the pathetic experience Zoom provides.

[Mudd]

It's important to emphasize that this is not a Zoom issue. The feature has been software pushed by Apple and Google integrated into iOS and Android platforms. Although it would make more sense for Zoom to develop this feature into the app so it's easier to turn on or off, I agree it is never the less frustrating because you can only change the autoframe setting now at the operating system level and not directly on the app.

[GHS]

---

@Mudd wrote:

It's important to emphasize that this is not a Zoom issue.

---

That does not appear to be true. Did you read the article I linked to above? It says

"Center Stage was designed with third-party video conferencing apps in mind, and Apple has made an API available, which is what Zoom is using."

[OccasionalZoom]

There is an easy way to turn off this feature, it's just hidden away.

Step 1: start Zoom, but don't maximize the window

Step 2: open settings, and choose Video

Step 3: a green camera icon will appear in the MacOS toolbar at the top of the screen (you can't see it if the app is maximized).

Step 4: click on that camera icon, and de-select "Center Stage"

You're all done! Your MacBook will remember the setting for future Zoom sessions.

It also remembers this setting individually for each app - so, for example, you can have it OFF for Zoom, and ON for FaceTime. But this means you have to change the setting while the app you care about is using the camera.

[GHS]

Thanks. The point is that Zoom should not be using this failed "feature" in the first place.