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2022-11-01 06:26 PM
During our meetings we commonly have speakers scheduled for a certain amount of time, e.g. 10 minutes. Some speakers just start riffing...
If I'm the meeting host, I keep the speakers on time through a different messaging service, e.g. Slack, so there is zero possibility of my activities affecting the session, my participation, the speaker's participation, or any chat logs. But that's awkward. When it's a short presentation, I have to send timer messages just minutes after they get started. The Zoom Timer app is either useful to only me or absolutely everybody. That's no good. (Also, why is it not smart enough to work with "Mirror My Video"?)
In a perfect world, with a perfect timer app:
- I set an overall meeting timer of, say, 60 minutes, subdivided into me (2), Alice (15), me (1), Bob (10), me (1), Chad (15), me (1), and overall Q&A (whatever remains as "flexible" time)? The timer should also show the overall meeting elapsed/remaining. The timer is in a detachable pane that can be "pinned" as always visible on top of all other apps and has a tiny messaging service visible only to the others I've blessed with the timer. When I share my entire screen, the timer isn't shared.
- When I press start, it starts my two-minute segment, only visible to me. I am of course, perfectly on time.
- When it's Alice's turn, I start her 15 minute timer which is now visible/audible only to her and me (the host). It visibly nags her as she runs down the clock. She runs two minutes over as interest is high. The timer has been blinking red. I've even pressed the magic button that brings it to the top of her apps so I know it's visible. That overtime is subtracted from overall Q&A.
- When she's done, I start my one minute to intro Bob. The timer is once again only visible to me. Again, I'm supremely awesome with my time.
- I start Bob. He does his thing. Awkwardly, nobody has questions for him, so he ends in seven minutes. The "bonus" three minutes is added to the overall Q&A.
- When he's done, I start my one minute to intro Chad. The timer is once again only visible to me. Again, I'm supremely awesome with my time.
- I start Chad, who's a bit of a knob. He takes up 21 minutes despite the blinking red timer on only his and my screens. I've even messaged him through the timer in a way that doesn't show up in the meeting's main chat logs (but does show up in my host logs as a separate file). The overtime is subtracted from the overall Q&A.
- Wrestling the mic away from Chad, I am, once again, the only person who can see the timer. I do my wrap-up schtick in one minute while wondering who invited Chad in the first place.
- I start the overall Q&A with whatever time is remaining.
- The meeting ends on time and everyone walks away happy.
I know what you're thinking: Cool story, bro. But has someone out there made the Zoom timer app of my dreams?
Solved! Go to Solution.
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2022-11-02 04:02 AM
Hi @NemanMTX,
I think this is a great idea! Feel free to submit feature requests here, and our Product team will review and consider according to priority.
If this helps, please click "Accept as Solution" to help others find the answers they're looking for when it comes to feature requests.
Thanks!
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2022-11-02 04:02 AM
Hi @NemanMTX,
I think this is a great idea! Feel free to submit feature requests here, and our Product team will review and consider according to priority.
If this helps, please click "Accept as Solution" to help others find the answers they're looking for when it comes to feature requests.
Thanks!

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2022-11-02 05:45 AM
Thanks. Idea suggested. Fingers crossed, breath held. 🙂
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2022-11-02 06:07 PM
As a "starting point" you might want to check out the Timer app available in the Zoom Marketplace -- and created/provided by Zoom!

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2022-11-02 07:23 PM
Thanks Ray. I have the Zoom Timer and unfortunately it's rather insufficient for this requirement.

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2024-08-23 08:38 AM
Do you have a feature like the one in your story? I need something for an upcoming presentation to keep the presenter on time, but I want the timer visible only to me as the host and the speaker. Any advice?
