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Why Viewers Can’t Send Chat Messages on Zoom Events (Meetings & Webinars)

Updated yesterday

If your Zoom event attendees can't type in the chat, there are a few likely reasons—and they depend on whether you’re using a Zoom Meeting or a Zoom Webinar.

🔹 Zoom Meetings

Zoom Meetings are designed for collaboration. Chat is usually enabled by default, but attendees might not be able to chat if:

  1. Host Settings Disabled Chat
    The host can turn off chat for everyone, or limit it so participants can only message the host or co-hosts.

  2. Breakout Room Rules
    In breakout rooms, chat may be limited to participants inside that specific room.

  3. In-Meeting Restrictions
    Hosts can change chat settings mid-meeting. If you once could chat and now can’t, check if the host toggled chat off.

🔹 Zoom Webinars

Webinars work differently. They’re built for broadcasting to an audience—not back-and-forth conversation.

  1. Attendee Chat is Off by Default
    In Zoom Webinars, only panelists and hosts can chat with each other unless the host enables chat for attendees.

  2. Q&A vs. Chat
    Often, hosts use the Q&A feature instead of chat for audience interaction. If you can’t find the chat box, look for the Q&A panel.

  3. Registration Settings or Zoom Roles
    If you registered late or joined as an attendee (vs. a panelist), you won’t have the same chat privileges.

🛠️ How to Fix It (for Hosts)

  • Go to Webinar Settings > In-Session Chat and allow attendees to chat with panelists or everyone.

  • In Meetings, click the chat box, then click the three-dot menu to adjust permissions (host-only, everyone, etc.).

  • Double-check your account-level default settings on Zoom.us under “Settings > Meeting > In Meeting (Basic).”

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