Using the Zoom VDI client with AVD on macOS

With support for the Zoom VDI plugin for the Windows App on macOS devices, macOS users can now take advantage of Windows AVD and similar environments to achieve optimized audio and video performance through the Zoom VDI plugin.

note icon
Contact Zoom Support to enable this feature.

Requirements for using the Zoom VDI client with AVD on macOS

Limitations for using the Zoom VDI client with AVD on macOS

Table of Contents

How to configure the Zoom VDI client with AVD

  1. Download and install the Zoom VDI plugin for macOS.
    Note: Install the plugin management component as well.
  2. Start the Windows App and connect to your virtual machine.
  3. In the top-left corner of your macOS device, click the Apple icon.
  4. Click System Settings, then click Privacy & Security.
  5. Click Screen & System Audio.
  6. For Zoom VDI Plugin Management, enable recording permission.
  7. For ZoomVDI, enable recording permission.
  8. Install the Zoom VDI Client on your virtual machine.

Pair the VDI Client with AVD using a QR code

  1. Log in to the Zoom VDI client.
    In the top right corner of the desktop, a QR code will appear.
    The VDI plugin will automatically scan the QR code and attempt to pair with the Zoom VDI client. A dialog box will appear with your macOS device information, including the User Name, Device Name, and Local IP Address.
    Note: If the pairing is not completed within 10 seconds, try enlarging the virtual machine window or switching to full-screen mode, then reattempting the pairing.
  2. Click Approve.
  3. Back in the macOS desktop, go to System Settings, then click Privacy & Security.
  4. Click Accessibility.
  5. Under Allow the apps below to control your computer, enable ZoomVDI and ZoomMediaPluginHost.app.
  6. (Optional) Click Always approve this device to automatically approve the pairing in every instance.

If the pairing is rejected, the QR code pairing will be disabled, and the VDI client will need to be restarted to allow pairing.

Once approved, the Zoom VDI plugin will connect, and a small green dot will appear in the top left corner of the Zoom VDI client. You can also verify the status within the VDI tab of the VDI Statistics section in the VDI settings.

If Always approve this device was not selected when approving the pairing, then the client will need to be re-paired after the following circumstances:

Pair the VDI Client with AVD using a pairing code

Pair with the pairing widget

  1. Log in to the Zoom VDI client.
    In the top right corner of the desktop, the pairing widget will appear.
  2. Click Pair.
  3. Enter the 6-digit code displayed on your virtual desktop.
    The client will begin paring.
  4. If pairing was successful, the pairing window will display Paired.
    Note: If the pairing window displays Error, click Retry to attempt pairing again, or click Cancel to stop pairing.

Pair using the Virtual Desktop panel

  1. Open the Zoom VDI Plugin Management app.
  2. Click the Virtual Desktops tab.
  3. A list of detected virtual desktop sessions will be displayed.
  4. Enter the 6-digit pairing code for the desired desktop.
    Note: Once paired, the widget and the Virtual Desktops panel will be synchronized. Meaning, if you start pairing in one, the other updates automatically.

Verify pairing status

The pairing widget will display an indicator that dictates the current status of pairing:

How to troubleshoot pairing the AVD plugin

The pairing window does not appear in the virtual desktop window

Ensure that the Zoom VDI Plugin Management app has been given the correct permissions under the Accessibility section of your macOS settings:

  1. On the macOS desktop, open System Settings, then click Privacy & Security.
  2. Click Accessibility.
  3. Verify that the Zoom VDI Plugin management permissions are set, then verify that a virtual desktop window is open and visible.

QR code scanning is not working

Ensure that the Zoom VDI Plugin Management app has been given the correct permissions under the Screen Recording section of your macOS settings:

  1. On the macOS desktop, open System Settings, then click Privacy & Security.
  2. Click Screen Recording.
  3. Verify that the Zoom VDI Plugin management permissions are set, then verify the QR code is visible and not obscured in the virtual desktop window.

Pairing fails with special characters in the macOS device name

If using version 6.6.13 of the macOS plugin and the macOS device name includes special characters (for example, a smart apostrophe ’ instead of a regular '), pairing may fail.

To resolve this, remove the special character from the Mac device name, then restart the Windows App and try again.

Note: This issue will be addressed in a future release.

How to report issues when using the Zoom VDI client with AVD

If you encounter any issues, please note the meeting ID, meeting time, and any logs (if possible), and open a ticket with Zoom Support.

It is recommended to use the Log Level 4 setting when testing. This can be configured with the VDI log tool.

If you have any issues, the logs from both the virtual machine and your thin client will be required for Zoom to investigate.

Collecting thin client logs

  1. Open Finder and click Go.
  2. Click Folder.
  3. Type ~/Library/Logs and press the Enter key.
  4. Collect the following files:

Collecting virtual machine logs

  1. Launch the ZoomVDITool.exe.
  2. Click Collect logs.

How to recover from VDI plugin disconnections

Zoom backend servers undergo monthly reboots for security patch installations, typically scheduled during weekends. Due to this, if you have an active meeting or an established connection using the macOS Zoom VDI Plugin when a server reboot occurs, you will need to take the following steps to restore connectivity:

  1. Restart the Zoom VDI Client
  2. Restart the Windows application

Note: This issue will be addressed in a future release.

Additional notes

macOS users

Users with VDI plugin 6.5.11 or higher will see a QR code/pair code window appear. This behavior depends on your screen copy protection settings:

Screen copy protection disabled: The Zoom macOS VDI plugin will establish a connection within 1-2 seconds, and the QR code/pair code window will close automatically

Screen copy protection enabled: Users with the Zoom VDI Client and Plugin version 6.6.13 or later will see a dialog requesting a pairing code. Users can enter the pairing code displayed on the remote desktop window to complete the plugin connection.

  1. If the user selects Always approve, the next connection should happen automatically. The QR Code window will show briefly (about 1-2 seconds) and then disappear automatically.
  2. If the user selects Approve or Reject, the next time the user connects, the QR Code window will still appear until the pairing process finishes, either through QR Code scanning or entering the pairing code.

Windows and Linux users

Since Zoom cannot detect the operating system on the endpoint device from the virtual desktop, it's possible that the pairing user interface may show for Windows and Linux users: