# When App Auto-Starts, it does not detect meeting context

**URL:** <https://devforum.zoom.us/t/when-app-auto-starts-it-does-not-detect-meeting-context/137183>\
**Category:** Zoom Apps\
**Created:** [September 8, 2025, 5:41pm UTC](https://devforum.zoom.us/t/when-app-auto-starts-it-does-not-detect-meeting-context/137183 "2025-09-08T17:41:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![John6](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/devforum.zoom.us/john6/32/50827_2.png) [@John6](https://devforum.zoom.us/u/John6)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2025, 5:41pm UTC](https://devforum.zoom.us/t/when-app-auto-starts-it-does-not-detect-meeting-context/137183/1 "2025-09-08T17:41:39Z")

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When I have already loaded my app in the out-of-meeting Zoom panel UI, and then start a meeting, **when the app auto-starts, it still shows the out-of-meeting UI.**

Here are the scenarios:

- Open the app in Zoom client out-of-meeting panel: **Correct UI**
  - Subsequently start meeting (auto-start app OFF). Manually open app in Zoom client in-meeting: **Correct UI**

- Do not open app in out-of-meeting panel.
  - Subsequently start meeting (auto-start app ON). App starts: **Correct UI**

- Open the app in Zoom client out-of-meeting panel: **Correct UI**
  - Subsequently start meeting (auto-start app ON). App starts: **Incorrect UI**

So the Zoom Apps SDK is sending its context header when you (a) open the app in the Zoom client out-of-meeting panel, (b) manually open the app in the Zoom client in-meeting, or (c) auto-start the app in a meeting only if this is the first time the app has loaded.

It does not seem that the context header is sent on app auto-start (in meeting), if the app has already loaded.

**Attempts to solve:**

- I have tried to set up a server-side event that listens for rtms\_started, notifies my UI, and hits getRunningContext – this has not worked so far.

Am I missing something?

Thank you.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![donte.zoom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/devforum.zoom.us/donte.zoom/32/24412_2.png) [@donte.zoom](https://devforum.zoom.us/u/donte.zoom)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2025, 9:06pm UTC](https://devforum.zoom.us/t/when-app-auto-starts-it-does-not-detect-meeting-context/137183/3 "2025-09-17T21:06:09Z")

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@John6, Thanks for posting in the Zoom Developer Forum!

> [@John6](#):
>
> I have tried to set up a server-side event that listens for rtms\_started, notifies my UI, and hits getRunningContext – this has not worked so far.

I’m not completely following the behavior you’re trying to achieve. Could you help us understand better? Are you saying that when the app hasn’t been loaded yet and you open it, the context header is sent on app auto-start? But you’re not seeing this happen when the app is already loaded?