How can I mute and un-mute students in Zoom?

One of the frequent pitfalls of video conferences is that at least one remote user will accidentally leave his or her microphone on, drowning out the conversation with background noise. Knowing how to use Zoom’s mute function will help you wrestle back control.

To mute or unmute all participants (except yourself)

1. Click on "Participants" in the meeting control toolbar

Zoom Meeting

2. Click the "Mute All" button at the bottom of the participants list

Zoom Meeting

Confirm "Mute all"

You can decide if you would like to take the ability for students to unmute themselves. You can always give students control back to unmute themselves in the security settings. See: How do I use Zoom security controls when teaching?

To mute a particular participant

1. Click on "Manage Participants" in the meeting control toolbar

2. Hold your mouse over the name of the participant

3. Click "Mute" or "Ask to Unmute"

Zoom Meeting

Note: If you ask a participant to unmute that participant will be asked to either “Unmute now” or “Stay muted.”  The participant will stay muted until he or she clicks “Unmute now.”