Participant "overflow" onto second monitor?

[kharrisma]

Hi Forum Folke,

I'd like to connect a second monitor so when my primary monitor has filled with participants and I get the "2>" indicating that a second 'screen' has been created, those 'extra' windows will display on the second monitor, so I can see all of them at once without having to jump back and forth between the two screens.

I *have* enabled "Use dual monitors" in my video settings, but all that does is display the active speaker fullscreen in the second monitor; it doesn't show the windows that won't fit on my primary monitor.  I'm not sure whether to dig into Zoom or Windows (running Win11) to get things working the way I'd like to... or if what I want is even possible.

Any input is greatly appreciated!

[Ray_Harwood]

Hi, @kharrisma.

If enabling Dual-screen mode + selecting Gallery View doesn't get you two full screens of attendees, then I'm thinking that it's not possible.  In my research, I did find this statement tucked away under a bullet point, which I originally thought it meant it only applied to that bullet point... but I think it's really intended as a "global" statement (I added the comma -- without the comma it was even more confusing!):

Note: While using dual monitors in the desktop client, gallery view will still only be shown on one monitor.

I think it could be a combination bandwidth/processing issue: combining 98 different video streams while also doing all the other things Zoom does in the background could be problematic.  But anyway... the bottom line is "I don't think it's possible."

[kharrisma]

Well that's disappointing... but I do thank you for your reply.  Settings allows maximum number of participants on a screen to be capped at 25 or 49... what happens if you have seventy five participants (or a small display screen)?  I'd like to be able to use both monitors to display the participant windows.  Many of our participants are, shall we say, 'tech-challenged,' and often can't find the "raise hand" icon , and if they're located on the not-currently-visible "overflow screen," I'm not going to see them raising a hand or waving at the camera.  Not a far-fetched scenario- - it's happened a number of times.

My laptop monitor is a little 15", and is not ideal but workable at 25 participants, but useless at 49 participants, which is why I wanted that second monitor for participants.  Not much screen sharing in my meetings, so while the "share on one monitor" while viewing participants in the other monitor IS a useful feature to have, it just isn't very useful to me in my application.  I suppose I *could* send ALL video to the second 24" monitor and set video to 49 participants, but that still won't take care of anything greater than 49, plus MY window will always be looking off to the side, since I'll be looking at the monitor while my camera is on my laptop scrreen.  A small thing perhaps, but I'll likely look distracted and/or like I'm not paying attention.

Guess I'll try submitting this as a feature request and see if anything comes of it.  I'm frankly surprised that this isn't already an option.

[Ray_Harwood]

When there’s more than 25/49 attendees (depending on your settings), there is a scroll arrow you can click to move down the list.

[kharrisma]

Huh... on my machine, anyway, anything over 25 attendees creates a " 2 > " on the right side of the screen, and I have to flip back and forth between them (left & right)... which is my issue.  I'd rather see ALL participants, spread across two monitors if necessary.  I mean, it's workable as is, but it seems to me at least to be an option that logically ought to be there, but isn't.

[ralphbaer]

To display participants on a second monitor in Zoom when your primary monitor is filled, follow these steps to ensure you have the right settings and understand the options available in both Zoom and Windows 11:

1. Enable Dual Monitors in Zoom:

   • Open Zoom and go to Settings (click on your profile picture in the upper right corner and select Settings).
   • Navigate to the General tab.
   • Ensure the "Use dual monitors" option is checked. This setting should allow Zoom to use both monitors more effectively.

2. Arrange and Extend Displays in Windows 11:

   • Right-click on your desktop and select Display settings.
   • Ensure your monitors are set to Extend these displays under the Multiple displays dropdown. This will allow your second monitor to act as an extension of your primary display.

3. Adjust Zoom Window Placement:

   • Start a Zoom meeting and expand the Gallery View to see all participants.
   • Drag the Zoom window from your primary monitor to your secondary monitor. This should allow you to position the Gallery View across both monitors.
   • Alternatively, if the Gallery View does not automatically spread across both monitors, manually resize the Zoom window to span across both displays.

4. Advanced Zoom Settings (Optional):

   • If you find the active speaker view still appears fullscreen on the second monitor and you prefer to see more participants there, try switching to Gallery View on the second monitor. To do this, during a meeting, click on View in the top right corner of the Zoom window and select Gallery View.
   • For more control, you can use Zoom's side-by-side mode. In the Video settings, enable Side-by-side mode under Share Screen settings. This allows you to see both the shared screen and participants side by side on one monitor, freeing up the other monitor for additional participants.

5. Using Zoom's Display Features:

   • During a meeting, click on Participants at the bottom of the Zoom window to open the Participants panel. This panel can be dragged to your second monitor.
   • Use the Speaker View and Gallery View toggle in the top right corner of the Zoom window to adjust how participants are displayed. Gallery View shows all participants in a grid, which might help fit more participants on your primary monitor, allowing the overflow to appear on your secondary monitor.

Steps Summary:

1. Enable "Use dual monitors" in Zoom settings.
2. Set up Extend these displays in Windows 11 display settings.
3. Drag and adjust the Zoom window across both monitors.
4. Use Gallery View and side-by-side mode for optimal participant visibility.
5. Adjust view settings during a meeting to better utilize screen space.

By following these steps, you should be able to utilize both monitors effectively, ensuring that when your primary monitor is full of participants, the extra participants will appear on the second monitor, allowing you to see everyone without switching back and forth.

[kharrisma · Accepted solution]

@ralphbaer: It works... sort of.  I can indeed "stretch" my primary display across onto my second display, but there are some bizarre behaviors, such as abrupt resizing of ALL windows when another attendee logs in, the attendee list and chat pop-up windows becoming undocked, and failing to open and close when the control is clicked (or disappearing altogether), an individual attendee window being split across the two monitors (left half on primary, right half on secondary.)  As I said, it does kind of work, but it feels like a "workaround" rather than a real usable feature.  It also doesn't fill up the primary first then start filling the secondary... attendees get spread across both monitors, and as more people join, the individual windows get smaller and smaller.

I appreciate the instructions; I think it will work well enough for when I get a high attendee count; it's going to take some major getting used to, though!  It could definitely stand some polishing!  😉

[grafikuss27]

Hello how would I set this up for Mac?

[kharrisma]

Thanks for the detailed reply!  I'll be running one of my larger meetings on Monday, so I'll see if they work, and will accept this as a solution if they do.