How to Use Reactions in Zoom Meeting Chat

Before you start

Reactions in Zoom Meeting Chat are handled inside the Zoom client during a meeting. You do not need to configure a camera or microphone to use chat reactions, and the reactions do not run as a separate local file process. Join the meeting with the desktop or mobile Zoom app so that the chat panel and reaction controls are available. If you join only by telephone, you cannot send chat reactions. Check that your Zoom app is updated if the reaction buttons are not visible; older versions may place chat reactions in a different location or may not show them.

Step-by-step instructions

The exact position of the reaction controls can vary by Zoom version, device, and whether the host has enabled chat. Use the following order and stop when you find the control available in your meeting.

• 1. Open the meeting chat by selecting Chat or Messages in the Zoom meeting toolbar.
• 2. If the chat already contains a message, move the pointer over that message and look for a reaction icon or emoji picker next to it.
• 3. If there is no existing message, type a short message and send it, then move the pointer over the sent message to reveal its reaction options.
• 4. Select the reaction icon, then choose one of the available emoji reactions such as a thumbs-up, heart, laughing face, surprised face, or applause.
• 5. To remove your reaction, select the reaction icon again and choose the same reaction to clear it, if that option is available in your Zoom version.

On some versions, Zoom also offers a broader set of meeting reactions from the main toolbar, separate from chat message reactions. A chat message reaction is attached to a specific message, while the toolbar reaction appears briefly in your video tile or participant entry. Do not confuse the two controls if you want the reaction to remain in the chat transcript.

Check the output

After sending a chat reaction, look at the selected message in the chat panel. Your chosen emoji should appear on or beside that message. If another participant reacts to the same message, Zoom may show the reaction count or stack the emoji on the message. Chat reactions are tied to the live meeting chat display; whether they remain in a saved transcript depends on the host's account settings and the meeting recording or transcript options.

If you see a brief animation on your own video tile instead of an emoji on the message, you likely used the general meeting reaction rather than the chat message reaction. Repeat the chat reaction step while the chat panel is open and the target message is visible.

Common problems and next steps

If the Chat button is missing, the host or account administrator may have disabled meeting chat, or the meeting may be run in a mode that hides chat tools. Ask the host to allow chat for participants. If the chat is open but no reaction icon appears, update the Zoom desktop or mobile app and try again; interface labels also differ by interface language.

For issues with the chat panel being hard to read, improve the lighting around your screen area and check that your display resolution is set to a readable scale. These are display checks only and do not change how Zoom records reactions. Camera permission is not required for chat reactions, so if Zoom asks for camera access when you are only using chat, you can decline that request without preventing chat reactions.