Knowing how to turn off chat in Zoom is useful when you want to keep a meeting focused, prevent distractions during a presentation, or stop private side conversations among attendees. The in-meeting chat is handy for sharing links and asking questions, but there are plenty of times when a host would rather switch it off entirely or limit who can message whom.
This guide covers both sides of the feature. If you are the host, you will learn how to disable or restrict chat during a meeting and by default in your account settings. If you are a participant, you will learn how to hide the chat panel and mute chat notifications so it stops interrupting you. We cover desktop and mobile, and finish with a troubleshooting section.
Who can turn off chat in Zoom?
Only the meeting host and co-hosts can turn off or restrict chat for everyone. This is an intentional host control: it prevents participants from disabling a feature others may need. If you are a participant, you cannot switch chat off for the room, but you can control your own experience by closing the chat window and silencing notifications.
There are two levels to consider. You can change chat during a live meeting, which applies only to that call, or you can change your account defaults so chat behaves the same way in every future meeting you host. Below we walk through both.
How to turn off chat during a meeting (host)
Use this when a meeting is already running and you want to stop the chat immediately.
- Open the chat panel. Click Chat in the meeting toolbar (or press Alt+H on Windows, Cmd+Shift+H on Mac).
- Click the More menu. Select the three-dot icon in the top-right corner of the chat window.
- Find “Participants can chat with.” This setting controls who attendees are allowed to message.
- Choose No One to turn chat off completely for participants.
- Or choose Host and co-hosts only to keep a private channel open for the team running the meeting.
- Confirm the change. Participants immediately lose the ability to send messages until you re-enable it.
To turn chat back on, repeat the steps and choose Everyone.
Choose “No One” so participants cannot send any chat messages. Best for lectures, webinars, and formal presentations where you want zero interruptions.
Choose “Host and co-hosts only” or “Everyone publicly” to keep chat available while blocking private participant-to-participant messages.
How to disable chat by default for all your meetings
If you never want chat in the meetings you host, change your account setting on the Zoom website so it applies every time.
- Sign in at zoom.us and open Settings from the left menu.
- Select the Meeting tab and scroll to the In Meeting (Basic) section.
- Find the Chat toggle and switch it off to disable chat, or leave it on and disable Private chat separately.
- Save your changes. The new default applies to future meetings you host.
Account-level changes do not affect meetings already in progress, so you may still need to adjust the live setting for a current call.
How participants can hide or mute chat
You cannot turn chat off for everyone as a participant, but you can stop it from bothering you.
On desktop
Click the Chat icon to close the panel so messages no longer appear on screen. To silence pop-ups, open the chat More menu and turn off notifications, or adjust them under Settings, then Chat.
On mobile
Tap More in the bottom toolbar and simply avoid opening Chat. New-message badges will appear, but no messages will interrupt your view of the speaker.
| Task | Desktop | Mobile app |
|---|---|---|
| Open chat | Chat icon or Alt+H | Tap More, then Chat |
| Turn chat off (host) | Chat > More > No One | More > Meeting Settings > Chat |
| Restrict private chat | Chat > More > Everyone publicly | Meeting Settings > Allow chat with |
| Hide chat (participant) | Click Chat to close panel | Do not open Chat |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can participants turn off chat in Zoom?
No. Only the host and co-hosts can disable or restrict chat for the meeting. Participants can close the chat panel and mute notifications, but they cannot turn the feature off for everyone.
How do I stop private messages but keep public chat?
Open Chat, click the three-dot More menu, and set “Participants can chat with” to Everyone publicly. Attendees can still post to the whole room but can no longer send private one-to-one messages.
Does turning off chat delete previous messages?
No. Disabling chat only prevents new messages. Messages already sent remain visible in the chat history for that meeting unless the host clears or the meeting ends.
Why is the chat option greyed out in my settings?
Your account administrator may have locked the chat setting at the organization level. If you are on a managed work or school account, ask your Zoom admin to unlock it.
Can I turn chat back on mid-meeting?
Yes. As the host, reopen the chat More menu and set “Participants can chat with” back to Everyone. Chat is available again immediately.
