There are multiple roles available for a meeting: host, co-host, alternative hosts, and participants. The role that you have in a meeting is designated by the host.
- Host: The user that scheduled the meeting. They have full permissions to manage the meeting. There can only be one host of a meeting.
- Co-hosts: Shares most of the controls that hosts have, allowing the co-host to manage the administrative side of the meeting, such as managing attendees. The host must assign a co-host during the meeting. Co-hosts cannot start a meeting. If a host needs someone else to start the meeting, they can assign an alternative host.
- Alternative hosts: Shares the same controls as co-hosts, but can also start the meeting. Hosts can assign alternative hosts when they schedule a meeting.
Note: If you need to schedule a meeting on behalf of another user, use scheduling privilege.
This article covers:
Comparison
The following table compares the meeting controls available to the host, co-hosts, alternative hosts, and participants.
- Features with an asterisk (*) can be disabled by the host.
- Some features are dependent on certain prerequisites. If you do not see a feature, review the article to see if your account meets those prerequisites.
| Feature | Host | Co-host / alternative host | Participants |
Participating in the meeting | |||
| Start the meeting | ✔ | see notes | |
| Mute/unmute themselves* | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Start/stop their own video | ✔ | ✔ | ✔* |
| View participants list | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Share screen | ✔ | ✔ | ✔* |
| Request or give remote control | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Chat with participants (in-meeting chat) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Save in-meeting chat | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Create or edit polls | ✔ | ✔ (see notes) | |
| Start polling | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Answer polls | ✔ | ||
| Assign someone to enter closed captions | ✔ | ||
| Enter closed captions | ✔ | ✔* | ✔* |
| Use call-out to join audio by phone | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| End meeting | ✔ | ||
| Reactions and nonverbal feedback | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Reorder video | ✔ | ||
Managing participants | |||
| Mute or unmute participants | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Stop participant's video | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Ask participant to start video | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Spotlight a video | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Promote participant to host or co-host | ✔ | ||
| Change who attendees can chat with | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Remove attendees | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Put participants on hold | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Rename participants | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Invite others to join | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Mute controls for participants (ask to mute, mute all, mute on entry) | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Assign participants to breakout rooms | ✔ | ✔ | |
Recording | |||
| Start cloud recording | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Start local recording | ✔ | ✔ | ✔* |
| Allow or forbid a participant to start local recording | ✔ | ✔ | |
Live streaming | |||
| Live stream on Facebook | ✔ | ||
| Live stream on Workplace | ✔ | ||
| Live stream on YouTube | ✔ | ||
| Custom live stream | ✔ | ||
Notes:
- Alternative hosts can start the meeting by using the meeting ID or meeting link from the invitation email. The meeting will not display in the upcoming meetings list in the desktop client or mobile app for alternative hosts.
- Co-hosts cannot start meetings scheduled by the host. Co-hosts cannot be assigned ahead of time. The host has to promote a participant to co-host. Alternatively, the host can assign a user as an alternative host.
- Currently, hosts and co-hosts cannot start cloud recording and local recording simultaneously. Once the host or co-host begins cloud recording, local recording cannot be started. Additionally, the host and co-host cannot control both cloud and local recording separately.
- If you start local recording then cloud recording afterward, both the cloud recording and local recording will stop whenever the host or co-host stops recording. You cannot stop the local recording without stopping the cloud recording.
- Alternative host can't add or edit polls unless you click the setting for allow alternative hosts to add or edit polls.