To change the host during a Zoom meeting, open Participants, click More (or the three dots) next to the person's name and choose Make host. If you are leaving, click End, then Leave meeting, pick the new host and click Assign and leave.
To hand a meeting over before it starts, add the person as an alternative host when you schedule or edit it. They can then start the meeting without you. Both of you need a paid Zoom license on the same account, which usually means the same company or school Zoom subscription.
A Zoom meeting has only one host at a time, so the right option depends on whether you are staying, leaving or not attending at all. The table below sorts that out. If you still have to create the meeting, start with how to set up a Zoom meeting.
Host, Co-Host or Alternative Host: Which One Do You Need?
Zoom has four ways to share or pass on host controls. They work at different moments:
| Role or Permission | What It Allows | When to Assign | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Host | Full meeting control | During the meeting | Any Zoom account |
| Co-host | Help manage an ongoing meeting | During the meeting | Pro, Business, Education or Enterprise |
| Alternative host | Start and run the meeting in your absence | Before the meeting | Licensed users on the same account |
| Scheduling privilege | Schedule or transfer meetings on someone’s behalf | In the web portal | Licensed users on the same account |
Table last updated: November 2, 2026.
In practice:
- You are staying and need help running the call: add a co-host;
- You have to leave mid-meeting: use Assign and leave so the call keeps a host;
- You won't be there at the start: add an alternative host when you schedule it;
- The meeting should belong to someone else for good: change the host in Schedule For, which needs scheduling privilege.
How to Change the Host During a Zoom Meeting
You need host controls to do any of this. If the buttons below are missing, check that you are signed in to the account that scheduled the meeting.
Make Someone Else the Host and Stay in the Meeting
On Windows or Mac:
- Click Participants in the meeting controls toolbar;
- Hover over the person’s name and click More (the three dots);
- Click Make host and confirm.
In the Zoom web app, the path is the same: Participants, hover over the name, More, then Make Host.
On iPhone, iPad or Android:
- Tap More in the meeting controls toolbar, then Participants;
- Tap the person’s name;
- Tap Make host.
You stay in the meeting as a participant. If you need host controls back, the new host can make you host again.
Assign a New Host and Leave the Meeting
This is the option for when you have to drop off early. It works the same way on desktop, in the web app and on mobile:
- Click or tap End in the meeting controls;
- Choose Leave meeting. Choosing End meeting for all closes the call for everyone;
- Pick the new host from the list of participants;
- Click or tap Assign and leave.
Add a Co-Host During a Meeting
A co-host is the right choice when you are staying but want someone to admit people from the waiting room, mute participants or remove someone. Co-hosts are available on Pro, Business, Education and Enterprise accounts. Zoom does not let you assign one ahead of time.
To make someone a co-host:
- Click Participants in the meeting toolbar;
- Hover over the person’s name and click More. On mobile, tap their name;
- Choose Make co-host and confirm.
If Make co-host isn't there on a paid account, the setting is off. Turn it on in the web portal under Settings > Meeting > In Meeting (Basic) > Co-host. On a company account, an admin may need to enable it in Admin Center > Settings first.
Co-hosts share most host controls, but they cannot:
- End the meeting for all participants;
- Make another participant a co-host;
- Start live streaming or closed captioning;
- Start the waiting room, although they can admit or remove people from it;
- Start a meeting the host scheduled.
How to Change the Host Before a Zoom Meeting
Before a meeting starts, you are not changing the host so much as giving someone the right to start and run it. Zoom's own guide on designating an alternative host lists the same requirements used below.
Add an Alternative Host
The alternative host must be a licensed user on the same Zoom account as you. You need a license too.
In the Zoom Workplace desktop app on a Mac or Windows device:
- On the Home tab, click Schedule, or open an existing meeting and click Edit;
- Click More Options (or Settings) and expand Advanced;
- Enter the person’s name or email in Alternative hosts;
- Optionally, tick Meeting summary, Meeting cloud recording or Add or edit polls to let them manage those;
- Click Save.
In the web portal:
- Sign in on the Zoom website and click Meetings;
- Click Schedule A Meeting, or open a meeting and click Edit;
- Scroll to Options and click Show;
- Type the person’s name or email in Alternative Hosts;
- Click Save.
In the iPhone, iPad or Android app:
- On the Home tab, tap Schedule;
- Tap Meeting settings, then Alternative hosts;
- Enter the person’s name or email and tap Done;
- Tap Save.
We checked this on a free Basic account on November 2, 2026: the Advanced section of the desktop scheduler shows options such as Allow participants to join anytime and Mute participants upon entry, but no Alternative hosts field. If you can't find it, the account is the reason, not the app.
Some limits are worth knowing before you rely on an alternative host:
- The meeting won't show in their list: they start it from the link in their invitation email or calendar invite;
- You can take it back: if you join after they start, Zoom asks whether you want to reclaim host. If you do, they become a participant;
- Your plan applies: the meeting keeps your limits and add-ons, even if their account has different ones;
- Recurring meetings change as a whole: you can't set a different alternative host for a single occurrence. Edit all occurrences in the web portal;
- Timing: alternative hosts are added before the start time. Once the meeting is running, use a co-host instead.
Move a Meeting to Another Host for Good
If the meeting should belong to someone else, an alternative host is only a workaround. The way to change the actual host of a scheduled meeting is Schedule For, which needs scheduling privilege. Both users must be licensed on the same account. Scheduling privilege also has to be allowed on the account.
To move an existing meeting:
- Make sure whoever moves the meeting has scheduling privilege for both people: the current host and the new host each add that person in Settings > Meeting > Other > Schedule Privilege in the web portal;
- In the web portal, go to Meetings, select the meeting and click Edit;
- Choose the new host under Schedule For;
- Click Save, then send the new host the calendar invitation, because it may not move with the meeting.
The person who receives scheduling privilege needs to sign out of Zoom Workplace and sign back in before using Schedule For.
Claim Host When the Host Isn't There
If a meeting started without its host, the owner or anyone with the owner's host key can claim host controls. Zoom documents this for meetings with Allow participants to join anytime (join before host) turned on, when you join without being signed in. If you join signed in to the owner's account, you are the host already.
- Click Join and enter the meeting ID and passcode. Our guide to joining Zoom with a meeting ID covers this step;
- Click Participants;
- Click Claim host at the bottom of the list;
- Enter the host key, or choose I am the host and sign in. The host key is a 6-digit PIN the owner can find in the Zoom web portal under Profile > Meeting.
On an iPhone or iPad, tap More > Sign In as Host. On Android, tap More > Login as Host. If the original host joins later while signed in, they can reclaim host controls.
What Works on the Free Zoom Plan
On a free Basic account, you can still hand over host during a meeting with Make host or Assign and leave. Basic accounts do not support co-hosts, alternative hosts or scheduling privilege. Co-hosts require a Pro, Business, Education or Enterprise account. Alternative hosts and scheduling privilege require licensed users.
Who holds the license also matters for time limits. A meeting hosted by a licensed user isn't ended at 40 minutes even if the host is absent. Our guide to the Zoom time limit explains the rest of the rules.
If the controls still don't behave as expected, update the app and check Zoom's list of common Zoom hiccups.
Keep the Recording Going When You Hand Over Host
If you are handing over host controls because you need to leave, check how the rest of the meeting will be recorded. Our guide on how to record a Zoom meeting if you're not the host covers the options.
An AI note taker for Zoom such as MeetGeek joins the meetings in your calendar as its own participant. Once it has been admitted to the meeting, it keeps recording and transcribing after you leave, whoever the host is. Afterwards you get a summary with decisions and action items. You can send them to your CRM, Slack or project tool automatically.
Key Takeaways
- A Zoom meeting has one host. Pass the role during a meeting with Make host, or with Assign and leave when you go;
- Add an alternative host before the meeting if you won't be there to start it. Both of you need a license on the same account;
- A co-host shares controls while you stay. Zoom only lets you add one during the meeting, on paid plans;
- To move a meeting to someone else for good, change the host in Schedule For, which needs scheduling privilege;
- On a free Basic account, only the in-meeting options are available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Change the Host of a Zoom Meeting Before It Starts?
Yes, in two ways. Add the person as an alternative host when you schedule or edit the meeting, so they can start it. Or, with scheduling privilege, edit the meeting in the web portal and pick a new host under Schedule For. Both need licensed users on the same account.
How Do I Transfer Host to Someone Else on Zoom?
During the meeting, open Participants, click More next to their name and choose Make host. If you are leaving, click End > Leave meeting, choose the person and click Assign and leave.
Can a Zoom Meeting Have Two Hosts?
No. There is only one host per meeting. You can add co-hosts during the meeting to share most of the controls. An alternative host, added before the meeting, can start it for you.
How Do I Switch the Owner of a Zoom Meeting?
Edit the meeting in the web portal and choose the new host under Schedule For. This needs scheduling privilege for both the current host and the new host. Both must be licensed users on the same account.
What Is the Difference Between a Co-Host and an Alternative Host?
A co-host is added during the meeting and can't start it. An alternative host is added before the meeting and can start it when you are not there. Once the meeting is running, both have similar controls.
Why Can't I Add an Alternative Host or Co-Host?
Usually because of the plan. Alternative hosts must be licensed users on the same account as you. Co-hosts need a Pro, Business, Education or Enterprise account with the co-host setting turned on. Zoom's guides list neither option for free Basic accounts.
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