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Zoom Introduces 'Focus' So Group Call Participants Won't Get Distracted

Zoom

When the world is limited to a screen's width and height, people can still get distracted. This is because some people can't simply retain their focus for a lengthy period.

Zoom is the popular communications technology company, which provides videotelephony and online chat services through a cloud-based peer-to-peer software platform.

Seeing its rise during lockdowns caused by 'COVID-19; coronavirus, lots of people are using its service for work and study purposes, as it allows people to initiate group video calls.

In an attempt to keep its users from getting distracted, Zoom introduces 'Focus'.

In a blog post, Zoom said that the mode is designed primarily to keep students from getting distracted during online classes.

For a service that popular for those wish to conduct teleconferencing, telecommuting, distance education, and social relations, the addition is a welcome one.

When online classes have become common and more than necessary around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, audio and video calling apps like Zoom need to add new features on a regular basis to improve their platforms for a better user experience.

And with this Focus mode, teachers should be able to ensure that students can focus better on their online studies.

When this feature is activated, participants can no longer see each other on the call.

The host will still have access to all participants’ web camera feed, but other people who are participants, wont.

This way, they won't be distracted by the live videos of their peers, allowing teachers to better supervise their class.

In other words, Focus allows teachers to see their students, and students to see their teachers, but without seeing other class participants.

According to Zoom, the feature can be enabled for accounts, groups, or even individual users.

Focus mode can be accessed through the More button that shows up while in a call.

Zoom 'Focus' mode

On its support page:

"Focus mode is designed with the digital learning environment in mind, allowing students to stay attentive or work on their tasks while under supervision, without being distracted by others and their tasks. This feature gives the host and co-hosts view of all participants’ videos without other participants seeing each other. This extends into screen sharing, as the host and co-host can view and switch between each participant’s shared screen, while the participants can only view their own content. If the host finds a participant’s content should be shared with others, they can easily begin sharing the participant’s screen with others."

It added that:

"Once Focus mode has been started, participants in focus mode will only see the video of the host, co-hosts, any participants spotlighted by the host, and their own video. They will only see other participants' names, their nonverbal feedback or reactions, and hear them when unmuted."

"Participants’ shared screens are only visible to the host and co-hosts, but the host can allow all other participants to view as well."

Published: 
14/08/2021