Using gesture recognition

Participants can give more visible feedback through gestures by using gesture recognition. This feature translates a real-world gesture into Zoom’s existing reactions, allowing for visual gestures, such as a raised hand, to automatically display a corresponding meeting reaction and allow users to more easily react during a meeting or webinar. Currently, this feature is supported for Raise Hand ✋ and Thumbs Up 👍 reactions.

Account owners and admins can enable or disable, as well as lock, this feature at the account level. By default, gesture recognition is disabled at the account and group levels but enabled for accounts that have meeting reactions and webinar reactions turned on.

Note: Apple also supports video effects using gestures on macOS Sonoma 14 and iOS 17. Depending on your macOS or iOS settings, these video effects may appear in your Zoom meetings, but are not controlled by Zoom. Learn how to disable these features through macOS settings

This article covers:

Prerequisites for using gesture recognition

How to enable gesture recognition in the client

Before the meeting starts you can enable gesture recognition on the desktop app. 

  1. Sign in to the Zoom desktop app.
  2. Click your profile picture, then click Settings.
  3. Click General general-button.png.
  4. Under Reactions, select the check box to enable Activate the following emojis based on hand gesture recognition: 👍 ✋

This can also be easily enabled during a live meeting. 

  1. Join or start a meeting. 
  2. In the meeting toolbar, click the next to the Reactions button. 
  3. Click the Recognize hand gestures option to enabled or disable gesture recognition. 
    A checkmark to the left of the option indicates if gesture recognition is enabled or not. This in-meeting option syncs with the client setting option above. 

iOS

When in a meeting and you would like to enable the Zoom mobile app to recognize gestures:

  1. Tap the More  button.
  2. Tap Meeting Settings .
  3. Under the Gestures section, tap the slider next to Raise Hand and/or Thumbs Up to enable gesture recognition in the meeting.

How to use gesture recognition 

  1. Join a Zoom meeting or join a Zoom Webinar with your video turned on.
  2. Raise your hand and perform a thumbs up or raise hand gesture.
  3. Hold the gesture for a couple of moments to allow the gesture to be recognized.
    The corresponding meeting/webinar reaction will display above the reactions button reactions-button.pngin the meeting toolbar.

iOS

  1. Join a Zoom meeting or join a Zoom Webinar with a supported iPad
  2. Raise your hand and perform a thumbs up or raise hand gesture.
  3. Hold the gesture for a couple of moments to allow the gesture to be recognized.
    The corresponding meeting/webinar reaction will display above the reactions button reactions-button.pngin the meeting toolbar.

Notes on using gesture recognition