Using Zoom Chat, Nonverbal Feedback and Meeting Reactions

Learn how to use the in-meeting Zoom chat feature, nonverbal feedback and meeting reactions during a Zoom meeting as a participant.

Before you start

Must be a Stevens student, faculty or staff member.
To prepare to use Zoom, activate your Stevens Zoom account and install the Zoom desktop client, which offers the best available Zoom experience.

Using Zoom Chat

If the meeting host has enabled chat in your Zoom session, you can send instant messages to other users within the meeting or a private message to an individual participant.

Step 1: During a Zoom meeting, select Chat in the Zoom meeting controls to open the chat window

Zoom tool bar bottom of the screen

Step 2: In the To: drop-down menu, select the participant(s) to whom you’d like to send a chat

Zoom chat box. Above the chat bar is a drop down option on who you want to chat.

Step 3: Enter your message in the chat window

Step 4: Select Enter on your keyboard to send your message

When you select a participant, red font shows next to their name that says direct message

When you receive a new chat, if the chat window is not open, a red indicator will appear by the chat button in the Zoom toolbar, and a preview of the chat will appear above it.

Zoom tool bar. Chat icon has a red notification bubble

Note: When sending messages to an individual participant, private chats are never visible to the meeting's host. Additionally, if the host saves the chat, private messages between participants do not appear on the chat transcript.

Using Nonverbal Feedback and Meeting Reactions

Learn how to use nonverbal feedback and meeting reactions in a Zoom meeting.

If the meeting organizer enables the nonverbal feedback and meeting reactions features, meeting participants can place an icon in their video panel and beside their name in the participants panel to communicate with the host and other participants without disrupting the flow of the meeting. For example, selecting the Slow Down icon places the icon in your video panel and beside your name to indicate you would like the host or presenter to go slower.

In a course session, the instructor may ask students to provide non-verbal feedback by using icons such as Raise Hand and nonverbal feedback such as Yes, No, Slow down and Speed up.

To use nonverbal feedback and meeting reactions:

Step 1: Select the Reactions button in your Zoom controls

Zoom tool bar, reactions option

Step 2: Select one of the icons to provide nonverbal feedback or a reaction to the host and your fellow participants

Step 3: Nonverbal feedback and meeting reactions will be displayed in each participant's video panel, as well as next to their name in the participants panel

Green check mark that says yes is shown on the video window and next to participants name on participant list

Participant list displaying non verbal reactions next to names

Step 4: Emoji reactions (Clap, Thumbs Up, Joy, etc.) will disappear automatically after 10 seconds while Raise Hand and nonverbal feedback such as Yes, No, Slow down, Speed up, I'm away will be persistent until you remove them by clicking them again, or until they are removed by the host.

Managing Nonverbal Feedback and Meeting Reactions as a Host

Nonverbal feedback and meeting reactions will be displayed in each participant's video panel, as well as next to their name in the participants panel. In the participants list, you can view and manage feedback using these features.

Step 1: Click the Participants button to see a full list of participants and their nonverbal feedback and meeting reactions.

Step 2: To clear all nonverbal feedback at once, select the 3 dots in the lower right corner and select Clear All Feedback.

Participant box. drop down menu with options for host

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