How to Moderate a Live Session Using Host Controls

Host Controls in LiveClass let you manage attendee permissions for chat, Q&A, reactions, microphones, cameras, screen sharing, and whiteboard access. You can also mute attendees, lock microphones, and manage individual participants to keep your session organized.

Who can use this guide: Hosts and co-hosts can change Host Controls. Presenters can view these settings but cannot modify them.

Step 1: Open Host Controls

Join or start your LiveClass session, select the 'Settings' button in the bottom bar. Open the 'Host Controls' tab and adjust the available settings as needed.

Manage Attendee Permissions

Under 'Session Controls', use the switches to control what attendees can do during the session.

Setting	What it does
Enable Chat	Allows attendees to send chat messages. Turning it off hides the Chat tab from attendees.
Enable Q&A	Allows attendees to ask questions. Turning it off hides the Q&A tab from attendees.
Enable Reactions	Allows attendees to react to messages using emojis.
Hide Participant List	Prevents attendees from seeing other participants. Hosts can still view the participant list.
Attendee Microphone	Allows attendees to unmute their microphones.
Attendee Camera	Allows attendees to turn on their cameras.

Attendee microphone and camera permissions are off by default unless 'Attendees can use mic and camera' was enabled when the session or room was created.

Changes take effect immediately for everyone in the session, including participants who join later. These switches do not restrict hosts, co-hosts, or presenters.

Step 2: Mute Attendees and Control Microphones

Use the microphone controls to manage background noise or prevent attendees from unmuting themselves.

Open 'Settings' → 'Host Controls', locate the 'Microphone controls' section.

Choose the appropriate action:

- Mute all attendees: Mutes all attendees. They can unmute themselves if their permissions allow it.
- Mute all and lock microphones: Mutes all attendees and prevents them from unmuting until the lock is lifted. The panel displays Attendee microphones are locked.
- Allow attendees to unmute: Removes the microphone lock so attendees can unmute themselves. This does not automatically unmute anyone.

To include presenters in a mute action, select 'Include presenters' before applying it.

Hosts and co-hosts are never muted by these actions. Presenters are affected only when 'Include presenters' is selected.

Step 3: Manage Whiteboard Access

Use the whiteboard controls to decide whether attendees can draw or modify the board.

Choose the action you need:

- Allow Attendee Editing: Allows attendees to draw on the whiteboard.
- Lock Whiteboard: Prevents attendees from making changes.
- Clear Board: Erases the whiteboard for everyone, including content in the main room and breakout rooms.

Clear Board does not ask for confirmation. It also clears the saved whiteboard copy used by late joiners and recordings. If you use 'Clear Board' from the whiteboard's own toolbar, a confirmation prompt appears first.

Step 4: Control Screen Sharing and Recording

Enable or disable the following settings as needed:

- Allow Attendee Screen Share: Determines whether attendees can share their screens. The number of simultaneous shares depends on the session type.
- Allow recording: Controls whether the session can be recorded.

To allow screen sharing for just one attendee, open the 'People' tab, select their ⋮ menu, and choose 'Allow screen share'.

Step 5: Manage Individual Participants

To control one person's microphone, camera, or session permissions without changing settings for everyone:

To let one attendee speak without enabling microphones for everyone, use the microphone control next to their name in the 'People' tab or promote them to presenter.

If your session is configured for more than 10 attendees with attendee microphones and cameras disabled, a reminder bar may appear at the top of the room. Select 'Open People' to access participant controls, or select × to dismiss the reminder.

1. Open the side panel.
2. Select the 'People' tab.
3. Locate the participant you want to manage.
4. Use the microphone and camera icons next to their name to allow or restrict their microphone and camera access.
5. Select the participant's ⋮ menu to access additional actions:
  - Allow screen share
  - Allow whiteboard
  - Lower hand
  - Make co-host
  - Promote to presenter
  - Demote to attendee
  - Move to breakout room
  - Remove from session

Troubleshooting and Common Questions

Attendees still cannot turn on their cameras. What should I check?

Open 'Settings' → 'Host Controls' and check whether 'Attendee Camera' is enabled. If the setting cannot be saved, an error appears at the top of the Host Controls tab, and the switch does not change.

Can presenters change Host Controls?

No. Presenters can view the settings, but only hosts and co-hosts can change them.

How can I let one attendee speak without opening everyone's microphone?

Open the People tab and use the microphone control next to the attendee's name, or promote the attendee to presenter.

Will Mute all mute the host?

No. Hosts and co-hosts are never muted by this action. Presenters are muted only if you select 'Include presenters'.

Host Controls help you manage participation, reduce interruptions, and maintain control of your LiveClass session. Use session-wide settings for general permissions and the People tab when you need to manage individual participants.

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