TABLE OF CONTENTS

Note: You will need to have your Zoom updated to 5.17.7 or higher to use Layouts. 


Zoom has new layouts for you to choose from when sharing your screen that put you front and center as the presenter to increase a sense of instructor presence and engage participants. 

Starting a Screen Share with New Layouts

Start like you normally would by clicking "Share Screen" at the bottom of your Zoom screen. This brings up images of the windows you have available to share. If your Zoom app is updated, you will have a new panel on the right side of the share windows where you can choose how you want to share. 

The box where you can select which screen you want to share on Zoom with the new Layouts section highlighted.

Previewing the Layouts

This new panel lets you preview the layouts to choose which one works best for you. As you click on the layout icons, the preview screen will show you how your audience will see you. The blue background with "Design Showcase" in white represents your screen share. If you are not visible, this means you are using the original sharing layout where only your shared screen is visible. You can try different layouts by clicking on the four icons below the preview area. The first icon, which looks like a solid black rectangle is the original share layout. 

A closer view of the layout panel with an arrow pointing out the preview area and an arrow pointing out the layout icons.

The new layouts

There are three new layouts.

  • New layout 1 - You will appear in front of whatever you are sharing in the bottom left corner of the screen. Make sure you don't have any content there that will be blocked if you share this way

  • New layout 2 - You will still overlay the bottom left corner of your shared screen but only partially. You can also change the wallpaper. It's black by default, but I chose one the other wallpaper options for the example image so you could see what it looks like.

  • New layout 3 - You and your shared screen show up in separate boxes that are about the same size. You can also change the wallpaper on this layout. The default is black. 


If you are showing a video clip, make sure you choose "Optimize for video clip" in the Options. Once you've chosen a layout and chosen a screen to share, you can click "Share" at the bottom of the box and you will be sharing your screen. You will be seeing the screen that you're sharing rather than what your participants are seeing, but if you get nervous and want to make sure they are seeing what you want them to see, you can click on the green "You are screen sharing" bar at the top of your screen to see what your audience sees. 

Helpful Tips

  • This is a brand new update, so you will probably need to update your Zoom software before using it. See our instructions for Updating Zoom for help.
  • When you’re in Zoom, your video works like a mirror. If you point to the right, your image points to their left, your right. In option 1 and 2, you are not mirrored. If you point to your right, your image points to their right, your left. It doesn’t change anything but if you point to your right thinking you’re pointing at your shared screen, your image is pointing away from the screen. 
  • If you use one of these layouts, the next time you start a share, it will automatically use the same sharing layout and any options that you’ve chosen.