Video meetings have given us plenty of new social puzzles. Should you wave when you join? Is everyone muted because they are polite, or because nobody wants to speak first? And how long should you pretend not to notice that your camera has frozen on the least flattering expression imaginable?
One communication problem, however, deserves more than an awkward laugh: people often do not know which pronouns to use when referring to someone they have just met online. Guessing based on a name, voice, photograph, or appearance is unreliable and can lead to uncomfortable or hurtful mistakes.
Zoom addressed that problem by introducing a dedicated pronoun-sharing feature in version 5.7.0 in June 2021. Instead of repeatedly editing a display name, users can add pronouns to their profiles and decide when those pronouns appear in meetings and webinars. It is a relatively small interface change, but it gives people greater control over how they introduce themselves in digital spaces.
Zoom announced the Pronouns feature on June 22, 2021, as part of version 5.7.0.
What Changed With Zoom Pronoun Sharing?
Before the dedicated feature arrived, Zoom users who wanted to display pronouns generally added them manually to their display names. A participant might appear as “Jordan Lee (they/them)” or “Maria Santos – she/her.” The workaround was functional, but it was not particularly elegant.
Pronouns became part of the person’s temporary meeting name rather than a distinct profile detail. Users also had to remember to remove or restore them when moving between meetings with different audiences. That meant additional editing before a job interview, family gathering, class, medical appointment, or public webinar.
The dedicated Zoom pronouns field separates that information from the display name. Users enter their pronouns once in their profile and then select a sharing preference. When shared, the pronouns appear beside the user’s name in the video tile and participant list.
Zoom profile and meeting documentation describes the dedicated field and its appearance beside display names and in participant lists.
Three Sharing Options Give Users More Control
Zoom provides three primary pronoun-sharing preferences:
- Always share in meetings and webinars: Pronouns automatically appear when the user joins an eligible session.
- Ask me every time: Zoom displays a prompt after the user enters a meeting or webinar, allowing a fresh decision for that particular audience.
- Do not share in meetings and webinars: Pronouns stay hidden unless the user manually chooses to share them during a session.
Users can also share or unshare their pronouns while a meeting is underway. That flexibility matters because personal information that feels appropriate in one setting may not feel comfortable in another. A person may happily share pronouns with coworkers and friends but prefer not to display them during a public event or a meeting with unfamiliar participants.
In webinars, the feature is more limited. Hosts and panelists can display pronouns, while regular webinar attendees do not have visible pronouns. Pronouns entered in a Zoom profile may also remain visible to the user’s Zoom contacts through profile cards, even when the user chooses not to display them during meetings.
Zoom documents the three sharing choices, manual controls, webinar limitations, and profile-card visibility.
How to Add Pronouns to a Zoom Profile
The exact wording and menu layout may change as Zoom updates its interface, but the basic setup process is straightforward:
- Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
- Open the profile section.
- Select the option to edit the profile information near the user’s name.
- Enter the appropriate pronouns in the dedicated pronouns field.
- Choose when the pronouns should be shared.
- Save the changes.
The feature originally required Zoom desktop or mobile version 5.7.0 or newer. People using older software might not see pronouns correctly, which explains why an updated profile can sometimes appear perfectly on one device and mysteriously vanish on another. Technology enjoys keeping at least one tiny surprise in every meeting.
For free Basic accounts and accounts with one licensed user, Zoom makes the pronouns feature available by default. In many managed business, government, and education accounts, an administrator must first enable the option. An organization can therefore support the feature at the account level, but the individual user still controls what pronouns to enter and how they are shared, unless profile information is mapped through an organization’s single sign-on system.
Current Zoom support documentation explains version requirements, account defaults, administrator controls, and SSO mapping.
Why Pronoun Sharing Matters in Online Meetings
It Reduces Unnecessary Guessing
Names, voices, clothing, hairstyles, and profile photographs do not reliably reveal a person’s gender or pronouns. In global teams, even names that seem familiar in one culture may be unfamiliar in another. Asking is better than guessing, but repeatedly asking people to explain themselves can also become tiring.
A visible pronoun label provides useful information at the moment it is needed. When a manager says, “Taylor will present the report they prepared,” the team can focus on Taylor’s report rather than silently wondering whether the sentence was phrased correctly.
It Can Help Normalize Inclusive Introductions
Pronoun sharing is especially meaningful for many transgender and nonbinary people, but the practice does not belong exclusively to any one group. When cisgender colleagues also choose to display pronouns, the act becomes a normal part of introductions instead of something that singles out people whose pronouns may not be obvious to others.
A meeting host might begin with, “I’m Dana, I use she/her pronouns, and I’ll be facilitating today.” That introduction gives other participants an opportunity to share without commanding everyone to do so. The difference between an invitation and a demand is important.
Major LGBTQ+ organizations recommend respecting the pronouns people provide and avoiding the outdated phrase “preferred pronouns.” Pronouns are not comparable to preferring one coffee flavor over another; they are simply the words a person asks others to use when referring to them.
HRC and GLAAD guidance supports voluntary sharing, respectful use, and saying “pronouns” rather than “preferred pronouns.”
It Supports Remote and Hybrid Work
In a physical office, coworkers may pick up contextual information through repeated conversations. Remote employees often meet one another as names inside rectangles, sometimes for only 30 minutes before moving to the next call. A profile can therefore carry more responsibility in a virtual workplace than it would in a hallway conversation.
Pronouns, name pronunciation, job titles, locations, and other profile details help participants understand who is in the room. None of these fields can create an inclusive culture by themselves, but they can reduce avoidable friction and make communication more accurate.
What the Feature Gets Right
Pronouns Are Not Locked Into the Display Name
The most practical improvement is separation. A user can keep a clean, recognizable display name while Zoom handles pronouns as their own profile element. This is particularly helpful for organizations that require standardized names for attendance, compliance, customer support, or classroom management.
Users Can Make Context-Specific Decisions
The “Ask me every time” option acknowledges that identity disclosure is contextual. The same person can enter a supportive team meeting, a public webinar, a client presentation, and a family call on the same afternoon. Treating every audience as identical would be convenient for software but unrealistic for humans.
The Feature Uses an Open Text Field
Zoom does not restrict users to a tiny menu of predetermined choices. An open text field can accommodate familiar pronoun sets such as she/her, he/him, and they/them, as well as multiple sets or other forms a user may choose.
This approach is more adaptable than a rigid list. Language evolves, communities are diverse, and people should not have to negotiate with a dropdown menu before they can accurately describe themselves.
What Zoom’s Pronoun Feature Cannot Solve
A settings field is useful, but it is not a magic “make workplace inclusive” button. If an organization enables pronoun sharing while ignoring harassment, discrimination, accessibility, unequal promotion practices, or disrespectful behavior, employees will notice the contradiction.
The feature also cannot force participants to read or remember the information displayed. Meeting leaders still need to model respectful communication. Coworkers still need to correct mistakes. Administrators still need to explain how the feature works. A tool can place pronouns beside a name, but it cannot personally tap a distracted participant on the shoulder.
Sharing Should Remain Optional
Organizations should avoid requiring every employee or student to disclose pronouns. Some people may be questioning their identity, navigating an unsafe environment, or using different pronouns in different parts of their lives. Others may simply prefer not to provide personal information through a work platform.
A well-designed inclusion practice makes sharing available without turning it into a test of loyalty, politics, or participation. People who share pronouns should be respected, and people who do not share should not be interrogated.
HRC workplace guidance emphasizes communication around optional pronoun sharing rather than mandatory disclosure.
Best Practices for Zoom Users
Use the Pronouns a Person Displays
When someone has provided pronouns, use them consistently. There is no need to launch a committee, request an autobiography, or conduct a grammar summit. Treat the information as you would a person’s correctly spelled name.
Correct Mistakes Briefly
If you use the wrong pronoun, correct yourself, apologize briefly, and continue. A simple “Sorry, they will lead the next section” is usually more helpful than a five-minute speech that forces the other person to comfort you for making the mistake.
Do Not Make Pronouns the Entire Conversation
A pronoun label is practical information, not an invitation to ask personal questions about someone’s body, medical history, relationships, or identity. Respectful curiosity includes knowing when a question is unnecessary.
Review Profile Visibility
Users should understand that Zoom profile cards may expose pronouns to contacts even when meeting sharing is disabled. Anyone with privacy concerns should review the profile field itself rather than relying only on the in-meeting setting.
GLAAD recommends using the provided pronouns and handling mistakes with a quick apology, correction, and continuation.
Best Practices for Hosts and Organizations
Meeting hosts can create a more welcoming environment without turning introductions into a mandatory ceremony. They can share their own pronouns, mention that profile sharing is available, and allow participants to decide whether to use it.
Organizations should also provide clear instructions explaining:
- How to add, change, or remove pronouns
- Where pronouns may be visible
- Whether administrators have enabled the feature
- How single sign-on data affects profile information
- Who to contact when a profile cannot be edited
- Why sharing is optional but respectful usage is expected
Training should include practical examples rather than vague promises about “celebrating everybody.” Employees need to know what to do when they make a mistake, hear someone repeatedly misgender a colleague, or notice that an internal directory contains outdated information.
Experiences and Real-World Scenarios With Zoom Pronoun Sharing
The following composite scenarios reflect common experiences in remote workplaces, classrooms, webinars, and community meetings. They illustrate how a seemingly tiny profile feature can influence an actual conversation.
A New Employee Joins the Weekly Team Call
Imagine a new analyst named Morgan joining a remote team of 20 people. Before dedicated pronoun settings existed, Morgan might have added “they/them” to the display name manually. Unfortunately, the company’s meeting system automatically replaced display names with legal names each time employees signed in. Morgan had to edit the name before every call, which was a small task in theory and a deeply irritating ritual in practice.
With profile-based pronoun sharing, Morgan enters the information once. During the Monday meeting, “Morgan Patel (they/them)” appears in the participant list. When the manager introduces Morgan, the correct language is immediately available. Nobody has to guess, Morgan does not have to interrupt the welcome speech, and the meeting moves directly to the truly important issue: why the shared spreadsheet has six tabs named “Final.”
A Professor Leads a Large Online Seminar
In a university seminar, students may interact with classmates they have never met in person. A professor who relies on assumptions can accidentally misgender someone while calling on them or discussing their work.
Optional pronoun sharing makes the participant list more informative. Students who feel comfortable can display pronouns, while those who prefer not to share are not forced to explain why. The instructor can reinforce the practice by introducing themselves with their own pronouns and reminding the class that participation is voluntary.
The feature does not eliminate every error, particularly when students use outdated software or join from shared devices. It does, however, provide a consistent starting point and reduces the need for students to repeatedly correct instructors across different courses.
A Consultant Moves Between Internal and Client Meetings
Consider a consultant who uses pronouns openly with their employer but is unsure how a new client will respond. Automatically displaying pronouns everywhere may feel too exposed, while never displaying them removes information from supportive meetings.
The “Ask me every time” setting works well in this situation. The consultant can share pronouns during internal calls and make a separate decision before each external presentation. That control may appear minor to someone who has never worried about disclosure, but it can make virtual work considerably less stressful for someone evaluating the safety of each environment.
A Global Team Avoids Name-Based Assumptions
International teams regularly include names that are unfamiliar to colleagues in other countries. A participant may incorrectly assume someone’s gender based on naming conventions from their own culture. Pronoun labels prevent some of these mistakes without forcing anyone to deliver a language or geography lesson during a project update.
The feature can also help participants who communicate in English as an additional language. Seeing “she/her,” “he/him,” or “they/them” beside a name gives them a direct reference while forming sentences. It turns inclusive language into accessible information rather than a memory test.
A Coworker Makes an Honest Mistake
During a busy planning call, a coworker uses “he” for a participant whose profile displays “they/them.” Another colleague quickly says, “They’ll send the revised version tomorrow,” emphasizing the correction without stopping the conversation.
The original speaker responds, “Right, they’ll send it tomorrow,” and continues. This brief correction prevents the error from being repeated while avoiding unnecessary drama. Pronoun sharing works best when the surrounding culture treats corrections as normal communication maintenance, much like fixing a mispronounced name or an incorrect job title.
A User Chooses Not to Share
Finally, imagine an employee who leaves the pronouns field blank. Perhaps they are questioning their identity, worried about privacy, or simply uninterested in adding the information. A respectful workplace does not treat the blank field as a puzzle that everyone must solve.
The employee participates normally, colleagues use available contextual information carefully, and nobody demands disclosure. This scenario is just as important as the others because genuine inclusion includes control over what not to share.
Conclusion
Zoom’s pronoun-sharing feature improves a task users were already attempting through manually edited display names. By providing a dedicated profile field, flexible meeting controls, and the ability to share or unshare pronouns during a session, Zoom makes respectful introductions easier without requiring identical choices in every environment.
The feature is most effective when organizations combine it with voluntary participation, clear privacy information, practical training, and consistent respect for the pronouns people provide. Software cannot create trust on its own, but thoughtful design can remove unnecessary obstacles. In this case, a few words beside a display name can prevent confusion, reduce repeated corrections, and help more people enter a virtual room as themselves.
Research synthesis used 15 reputable U.S.-based sources, including Zoom product documentation and reporting, Engadget, GovTech, U.S. university technology guidance, the Human Rights Campaign, and GLAAD.
