Managing retention policy for Zoom Phone

The retention policy allows account owners and admins to configure rules for what data is retained, the duration of the retention period, and how to delete data after the retention duration. Account owners and admins can allow Zoom to automatically delete data after the retention duration.

Account owners and admins can set custom retention policies at the account, group, and extension levels to determine when voicemails, recordings, and logs are automatically deleted. When implementing account-based retention policies, existing site-level policies remain unaffected and continue to be enforced for current users. The system automatically migrates site-based retention policies and applies them to users during data migration.

Administrators can monitor retention policy activities through detailed audit logs that track when voicemails/videomail, recordings, SMS messages, and other items are automatically removed from the system. Changes to retention policies and automated deletions are tracked in web audit logs for comprehensive monitoring. This granular control enables organizations to maintain different retention requirements for specific users or groups within their account.

Requirements for managing retention policy for Zoom Phone

• Zoom Phone license
• Paid Zoom account
  Note: Standalone customers (accounts with one user) can’t use group management.
• Account owner or admin privileges
• Admins must have the following privileges to access these Zoom Phone setting levels:
  • Group-level policy settings: Groups privilege
  • Site-level policy settings: Phone Site Admin or Phone Super Admin default role; or Phone Management privilege
  • Account-level policy settings: Account settings privilege

Note: By default, Zoom Phone admins with the Phone Site Admin role do not have access to group management to change group-level policies.

How to activate the retention policy for Zoom Phone

Notes:

• The group policies take priority over the site policies for members of the group when the group policies are activated.
• Once activated, you cannot undo this action. The activation will take some time to proceed, and the new retention policy will only retain data for the specified retention duration in Days.

Account

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit account settings.
2. In the navigation menu, click Account Management then Account Settings.
3. Click the Zoom Phone tab.
4. Under General, locate the Auto delete data after retention duration setting.
5. In the Advanced retention policy not activated box, click Activate.
   When activated, you can set a retention policy at the account, group, and extension levels.
6. If confirmation windows appear, activate and confirm the advanced retention policy.
   The advanced retention policy will be activated by the account admin, and the retention duration will be converted to days.

How to change the retention policy for Zoom Phone

Account

To enable or disable Auto delete data after retention duration for all users in the account:

1. Activate the retention policy for Zoom Phone as an admin with the privilege to edit account settings.
2. Under General, click the Auto delete data after retention duration toggle to enable or disable it.
3. If a verification dialog appears, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
4. Click Edit to select the retention period for Zoom Phone.
   A pop-up window will appear.
5. In the window, select the feature to apply a retention policy and enter the specific days as the retention duration.
   Notes:
   • By default, the retention period is set to 180 days, but you can select retention periods ranging from 1 to 4000 days.
   • Some of the call data will be kept in Charge Reports.
6. Under After Retention Duration, click the dropdown menu and select from the following options:
   • Soft Delete Data: Data that has been soft-deleted may be restored in some cases.
   • Permanently Delete Data: Data permanently deleted cannot be restored.
7. Under Then Auto-Permanently Delete, click the dropdown menu and select either Never or the number of days that you want.
8. Click Save.
9. (Optional) To prevent all users in your account from changing this setting, click the lock icon , and then click Lock to confirm the setting.

Group

To enable or disable Auto delete data after retention duration for a group of users:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit groups.
2. In the navigation menu, click User Management then Groups.
3. Click the applicable group name from the list.
4. Click the Zoom Phone tab.
5. Under General, click the Auto delete data after retention duration toggle to enable or disable it.
6. If a verification dialog appears, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
   Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at the account level and needs to be changed at that level.
7. Click Edit to select the retention period for Zoom Phone.
   A pop-up window will appear.
8. In the window, select the feature to apply a retention policy and enter the specific days as the retention duration.
   Notes:
   • By default, the retention period is set to 180 days, but you can select retention periods ranging from 1 to 4000 days.
   • Some of the call data will be kept in Charge Reports.
9. Under After Retention Duration, click the dropdown menu and select from the following options:
   • Soft Delete Data: Data that has been soft-deleted may be restored in some cases.
   • Permanently Delete Data: Data permanently deleted cannot be restored.
10. Under Then Auto-Permanently Delete, click the dropdown menu and select either Never or the number of days that you want.
11. Click Save.
12. (Optional) To prevent all users in the group from changing this setting, click the lock icon , and then click Lock to confirm the setting.

Site

To enable or disable Auto delete data after retention duration for a site:

Note: This section only applies if you have multiple sites.

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit sites.
2. In the navigation menu, click Phone System Management then Company Info.
3. Click the applicable site name from the list.
4. Click the Policy tab.
5. Under General, click the Auto delete data after retention duration toggle to enable or disable it.
6. If a verification dialog appears, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
7. Click Edit to select the retention period for Zoom Phone.
   A pop-up window will appear.
8. In the window, select the feature to apply a retention policy, and enter the specific days as the retention duration.
   Notes:
   • By default, the retention period is set to 180 days, but you can select retention periods ranging from 1 to 4000 days.
   • Some of the call data will be kept in Charge Reports.
9. Under After Retention Duration, click the dropdown menu and select from the following options:
   • Soft Delete Data: Data soft-deleted may be restored in some cases.
   • Permanently Delete Data: Data permanently deleted cannot be restored.
10. Under Then Auto-Permanently Delete, click the dropdown menu and select either Never or the number of days that you want.
11. Click Save.
12. (Optional) To prevent all users in the site from changing this setting, click the lock icon , and then click Lock to confirm the setting.

Auto receptionist

To enable or disable Auto delete data after retention duration for an auto receptionist:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit auto receptionists.
2. In the navigation menu, click Phone System Management then Auto Receptionists.
3. Click the applicable name from the list.
4. Click the Policy tab.
5. Under General, click the Auto delete data after retention duration toggle to enable or disable it.
6. If a verification dialog appears, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
   Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at the account level and needs to be changed at that level.
7. Click Edit to select the retention period for Zoom Phone.
   A pop-up window will appear.
8. In the window, select the feature to apply a retention policy, and enter the specific days as the retention duration.
   Notes:
   • By default, the retention period is set to 180 days, but you can select retention periods ranging from 1 to 4000 days.
   • Some of the call data will be kept in Charge Reports.
9. Under After Retention Duration, click the dropdown menu and select from the following options:
   • Soft Delete Data: Data soft-deleted may be restored in some cases.
   • Permanently Delete Data: Data permanently deleted cannot be restored.
10. Under Then Auto-Permanently Delete, click the dropdown menu and select either Never or the number of days that you want.
11. Click Save.

Call queue

To enable or disable Auto delete data after retention duration for a call queue:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit call queues.
2. In the navigation menu, click Phone System Management then Call Queues.
3. Click the applicable name from the list.
4. Click the Policy tab.
5. Under General, click the Auto delete data after retention duration toggle to enable or disable it.
6. If a verification dialog appears, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
   Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at the site level and needs to be changed at that level.
7. Click Edit to select the retention period for Zoom Phone.
   A pop-up window will appear.
8. In the window, select the feature to apply a retention policy, and enter the specific days as the retention duration.
   Notes:
   • By default, the retention period is set to 180 days, but you can select retention periods ranging from 1 to 4000 days.
   • Some of the call data will be kept in Charge Reports.
9. Under After Retention Duration, click the dropdown menu and select from the following options:
   • Soft Delete Data: Data soft-deleted may be restored in some cases.
   • Permanently Delete Data: Data permanently deleted cannot be restored.
10. Under Then Auto-Permanently Delete, click the dropdown menu and select either Never or the number of days that you want.
11. Click Save.

Shared line group

To enable or disable Auto delete data after retention duration for a shared line group:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit shared line groups.
2. In the navigation menu, click Phone System Management then Shared Lines.
3. Click the Shared Line Group tab.
4. Click the applicable name from the list.
5. Click the Policy tab.
6. Under General, click the Auto delete data after retention duration toggle to enable or disable it.
7. If a verification dialog appears, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
   Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at the site level and needs to be changed at that level.
8. Click Edit to select the retention period for Zoom Phone.
   A pop-up window will appear.
9. In the window, select the feature to apply a retention policy, and enter the specific days as the retention duration.
   Notes:
   • By default, the retention period is set to 180 days, but you can select retention periods ranging from 1 to 4000 days.
   • Some of the call data will be kept in Charge Reports.
10. Under After Retention Duration, click the dropdown menu and select from the following options:
    • Soft Delete Data: Data soft-deleted may be restored in some cases.
    • Permanently Delete Data: Data permanently deleted cannot be restored.
11. Under Then Auto-Permanently Delete, click the dropdown menu and select either Never or the number of days that you want.
12. Click Save.

Phone user

To enable or disable Auto delete data after retention duration for a phone user:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit phone users.
2. In the navigation menu, click Phone System Management then Users & Rooms.
3. Click the Users tab.
4. Click the applicable phone user name from the list.
5. Click the Policy tab.
6. Under General, click the Auto delete data after retention duration toggle to enable or disable it.
7. If a verification dialog appears, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
   Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at the site level and needs to be changed at that level.
8. Click Edit to select the retention period for Zoom Phone.
   A pop-up window will appear.
9. In the window, select the feature to apply a retention policy and enter the specific days as the retention duration.
   Notes:
   • By default, the retention period is set to 180 days, but you can select retention periods ranging from 1 to 4000 days.
   • Some of the call data will be kept in Charge Reports.
10. Under After Retention Duration, click the dropdown menu and select from the following options:
    • Soft Delete Data: Data that has been soft-deleted may be restored in some cases.
    • Permanently Delete Data: Data permanently deleted cannot be restored.
11. Under Then Auto-Permanently Delete, click the dropdown menu and select either Never or the number of days that you want.
12. Click Save.