Zoom for Android is receiving an update that brings a bunch of new features such as the ability to share device audio during calls, improved calendar sync, and support for using virtual backgrounds during video calls. There also are improvements being made to chat such as enhancements to link previews, the ability to hide chat bots from the chat list, and more.
The most significant addition is the ability to swap out users’ backgrounds with a virtual background, mirroring the capability present on the desktop clients of the app. Currently, these virtual backgrounds can only be set to static images. With the pandemic resulting in people moving to a remote work scenario, the addition of this feature for Android users is a welcome addition as it helps them hide cluttered backgrounds during video calls.
Other features being added include the option for users to select their desired Breakout Rooms from the mobile devices, share device audio while presenting their screen, and the usual bug fixes. Here is the complete changelog:
- General features
- Calendar Integration sync improvement
- Enhanced scheduling with default settings
- Share Device Audio
- Virtual Background support for Android
- Meeting features
- Self-select Breakout Room
- Chat features
- Hide chat bots in IM list
- Enhanced Link Preview
- Enhanced Search
- Mark as Unread for images and files
- Resolved Issues
- Resolved issue with Breakout rooms not following main session’s settings/restrictions
- Minor bug fixes
One recent change, however, is that the Android version of Zoom is no longer supported for Chromebooks (via Android Police). It is not clear what the reason is, but the video conferencing tool cannot be downloaded from the Play Store on Chromebooks, and users must use the browser client, which does not support the entire list of features offered by the app.