Direct sharing in Zoom Rooms

Participants in Zoom Rooms can use one-click direct sharing from a Zoom Desktop Client (macOS or Windows). Ultrasonic sound proximity detection enables the Zoom Room controller to generate an ultrasonic signal that can be detected by the Zoom Desktop Client.

• If the Zoom Desktop Client detects the signal in a Zoom Room, it automatically connects to the Zoom Room when the attendee clicks Share Screen.
• If proximity detection is not available, participants can activate direct sharing by entering a Sharing Key, which consists of a string of letters.

Note:

Direct sharing with proximity detection uses the microphone you have selected in the Audio Settings of the Zoom desktop client to detect the Zoom Room controller. There are many factors that determine if proximity detection will function, including the quality of the controller's speaker and the laptop's microphone. If proximity detection is not working, you can use direct sharing without proximity detection, or consult the Troubleshooting section of this article. You can also use these methods to share content to a Zoom Room:

• Wireless sharing using share.zoom.us
• Wireless Apple screen mirroring (AirPlay)
• Wired HDMI capture

This article covers:

• How to enable direct sharing for Zoom Rooms (admin)
  • Account
  • Group of rooms
• How to use direct sharing with proximity detection (user)
• How to use direct sharing without proximity detection (user)
  
  • Desktop client or mobile app
  • Web client
• Troubleshooting

Prerequisites for direct sharing in Zoom Rooms

• Zoom Rooms for Windows global minimum version or higher
• Zoom Rooms for macOS global minimum version or higher
• Zoom Rooms for Appliances global minimum version or higher
• Zoom Rooms Controller for iOS global minimum version or higher
• Zoom Rooms Controller for Android, global minimum version or higher and a supported device*
• Zoom Desktop Client for Windows or macOS, global minimum version or higher
  Note: If you have an HP computer with Bang and Olufsen audio drivers, they can prevent proximity sharing from working. 
• Zoom Desktop Client for macOS global minimum version or higher
• Zoom Desktop Client for Linux global minimum version or higher
  Note: If using Wayland, users will be prompted to enter the Meeting ID to share content.
• An account with Zoom Rooms configured
• Zoom Rooms computer, controller, and computer for sharing must be on the same network

* Direct sharing with proximity detection for Android controllers is supported on the following devices: Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1" SM-T580, Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0" SM-T350, Crestron Mercury, Polycom Trio 8800, Polycom Trio 8500, Poly Trio C60, Poly TC8, Neat Pad, Logitech TAP IP, and Crestron TSW-1060.

How to enable direct sharing for Zoom Rooms (admin)

Account

To configure all Zoom Rooms in your account to use direct sharing:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Room Management then Zoom Rooms. 
3. Click Account Settings.
4. Click the Meeting tab.
5. Find the Automatic direct sharing using ultrasonic proximity signal option and click the toggle  to enable it. Once the verification dialog displays, click Enable to verify the change.
6. (Optional) To make Automatic direct sharing using ultrasonic proximity signal mandatory for all rooms, click the lock icon .

Group of rooms

To configure a set of Zoom Rooms in your account to use direct share with proximity detection:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. In the navigation menu, click Room Management then Zoom Rooms.
3. Click the level in the hierarchy that you want to enable for automatically starting and stopping meetings. For example, to enable all rooms in a specific building, click the name of the building.
4. Click the Settings option for the location you selected and then click the Meeting tab.
5. Find the Automatic direct sharing using ultrasonic proximity signal option and click the toggle  to enable it. Once the verification dialog displays, click Enable to verify the change.
6. (Optional) To make Automatic direct sharing using ultrasonic proximity signal mandatory for the group, click the lock icon .

How to use direct sharing with proximity detection (user)

1. Start or join a meeting using the Zoom Rooms controller.
2. Sign in to the Zoom desktop client.
3. In the Zoom desktop client, click Share Screen.
   Your desktop will be shared to the Zoom Room display. You can also access screen share controls.
4. (Optional) If you do not want to share your desktop by default, click your profile picture in the desktop client, then click Settings. Click Share Screen, then select Show all sharing options.
   You will be prompted to select a screen or application the next time you click Share Screen.

Note: You can also use proximity detection to switch a Zoom Phone call to a Zoom Room.

How to use direct sharing without proximity detection (user)

Desktop client or mobile app

To share your screen from a Windows or macOS laptop when proximity detection is not available:

1. Start or join a meeting using the Zoom Rooms controller
2. Tap the Share Content button on the Zoom Rooms controller.
3. Find the Desktop heading, and follow the instructions listed under Use Zoom App. 
   Note: Participants can share using either the Zoom desktop client or a browser.
4. In the Zoom desktop client or mobile app, click or tap Share Screen.
5. Enter the sharing key and meeting passcode, then click Share Screen (desktop) or tap OK (mobile).
   Your desktop will be shared to the Zoom Room display. You can also access screen share controls.
   Note: If you share using one of these methods, Zoom will automatically share your entire screen. Use direct sharing with proximity or share.zoom.us if you want to select what you want to share.
6. (Optional) If you do not want to share your desktop by default, click your profile picture in the desktop client, then click Settings. Click Share Screen, then select Show all sharing options.
   You will be prompted to select a screen or application the next time you click Share Screen.

Web client

If you do not have access to the Zoom desktop client or mobile, follow the steps to share your screen using a browser.

1. Visit share.zoom.us.
2. Enter the meeting ID and click Share Screen.
3. Click join from your web browser.
4. Enter your name and click Join.
5. Follow the instruction to share your screen using the Zoom web client.

Troubleshooting

Here are some common issues when direct sharing within a Zoom Room:

• Confirm that the devices, particularly the controller, meets the prerequisites and is running the latest version of Zoom Rooms.
• Confirm that the necessary ports are open on your firewall.
• Confirm that you have selected an appropriate microphone in your Zoom desktop client settings for audio. Please note that if you use a USB headset or headset dongle, and have selected the headset or headset dongle as the microphone, proximity detection may fail due to the limited range of headset microphone pickup, headset audio processing that removes ultrasonic audio, or if the wireless headset is currently powered off.
• If you have a Windows PC, confirm that any "audio enhancements" or "sound effects" are disabled for the microphone used by the Zoom desktop client, as these effects may affect proximity detection.
• macOS laptops from 2018 or newer utilize a T2 security chip that disable the microphone when the lid is closed. Direct sharing will not work on these devices when closed.
• Follow the instructions (page 26) to restore your Crestron TSW-1060 if it continually disconnects and reconnects during Zoom meetings.