Maintaining the lines of communication after a Zoom meeting has ended can be invaluable. Fortunately, Zoom provides a feature that allows users to access the chat after the meeting.
This is especially useful for referencing important details or recapping key points discussed during the meeting. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to access Zoom chat after a meeting.
Steps to Access Zoom Chat After a Meeting
Enabling Chat Saving
First and foremost, you can only access the Zoom chat after the meeting if the “Save meeting chat” option was selected or if the meeting was recorded with chat saving enabled.
Saving Chat Locally vs. Cloud
Zoom offers two options for chat saving: locally to your computer or to the Zoom Cloud. If you opt to save the chat locally, it will store all chats visible to you. This includes messages sent directly to you and those sent to everyone in the meeting or webinar. On the other hand, saving the chat to the cloud will only save chats sent to everyone and messages sent during cloud recording.
Auto-Saving Chat
To auto-save chat, sign in to the Zoom web portal, click on ‘Settings’, navigate to the ‘In Meeting (Basic)’ section and enable ‘Auto saving chats’. Please note that the auto-save feature is only available for the host and requires the host’s presence in the meeting for a local chat transcript to be saved.
Manual-Saving Chat
To manually save your in-meeting chat, click on ‘Chat’ during the meeting. At the bottom of the chat window, click ‘…’, then select ‘Save Chat’. This will save your chat to your local recording location. The default location is: Documents folder / Zoom / Folder with meeting name, date, and time.
Accessing Saved In-Meeting Chats on the Cloud
Accessing your saved chats in the cloud can be achieved in two ways. You will receive an email when your cloud recording is ready. Click the link in the email to download or view your recording.
Alternatively, after the recording has finished processing, sign in to the Zoom web portal and click on ‘Recordings’. Click on the meeting topic. This will display all files for your meeting. You can then download, share or delete the TXT file called ‘Chat file’.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Sometimes, things don’t go as planned. Here’s what to do when you encounter common issues with Zoom Chat.
Lost Chats: Where Did They Go?
If you can’t find your saved chats, check the specified location in your Zoom settings. The default location is the ‘Documents’ folder, under a subfolder named ‘Zoom’.
Chat Not Saving: What to Do?
If your chat isn’t saving, ensure ‘Auto-Save Chats’ option is enabled in your Zoom settings. If that doesn’t work, consider reinstalling Zoom or reaching out to Zoom support for further assistance.
