Zoom forcing an update right when joining meeting? Here's possibly why

Several users are encountering a problem where Zoom is forcing an update to the client right before joining a meeting.

Like any other popular video conferencing platform, Zoom also deploys automatic updates. This ensures that users receive the latest features and security enhancements.

They are also provided with the option to deactivate such updates and install them manually as per their convenience.

However, by looking at the reports (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10) this does not appear to have been the case since the past few weeks. Users are being compelled to upgrade the app whenever they click on the link to attend a meeting.

Some assert this happens if one doesn’t open the client on their system beforehand and directly clicks on the meeting link.

On the other hand, Windows users claim to be experiencing this issue even when the app has already been launched on their desktop.

And to make matters worse, the update process takes much longer than usual to complete, affecting one’s user experience negatively.

As a result, people have to deal with delays in joining meetings or, in some cases, completely miss them.

Notably, users are also facing this problem when they have already disabled automatic updates in the client’s settings.

Our enterprise experienced the same exact issue yesterday on 7/10/2023. Any user that was running a version UNDER 5.15.1 could not use the application. Only after we pushed 15.5.2 did clients begin working again
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And understandably, those impacted are now trying to find out ways by which they can prevent this issue from popping up.

Why does the Zoom app always want to download and install updates when I’m in a rush and already a minute late to join an important meeting? Not so zoomy.
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Some suspect that this happens because the person hosting the meeting is requiring a minimum version of the app to enter their meeting.

It appears that Zoom has been forcing users to update the client to patch some security vulnerabilities that can affect their privacy and safety.

It should also be noted that Zoom had sent out messages to administrators warning them about the security concerns well in advance.

However, some people didn’t take this announcement seriously and are hence experiencing occasional hiccups.

That said, we will keep tabs on this story and update it with further developments.

Featured image source: Zoom.

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