What's New in BigBlueButton 3.0.0-rc.3

BigBlueButton 3.0.0-rc.3 is now available. This release candidate prioritizes accessibility and performance, with numerous fixes across the HTML5 client, core services, and plugins. The user list has been optimized for large sessions, and screen reader support has been significantly improved.

HTML5 Client Fixes

Several issues in the HTML5 client have been addressed, including:

  • Fixed external video autoplaying when the presenter changes
  • Private chat no longer keeps loading when viewers are locked
  • Resolved chat duplication on edit
  • Fixed unstable chat scroll and page loading
  • Whiteboard: removed duplicate zoom propagation, added touch gesture support for undo/redo
  • Chat and audio controls are now properly disabled when the connection goes down
  • Keyboard navigation and message accessibility in chat improved
  • Fixed screenshare audio from shared tabs being muted
  • Addressed local layout not respecting meeting layout
  • Moderators now have proper control over the push layout toggle

Accessibility Improvements

Thanks to contributions from the community, the following accessibility fixes are included:

  • Muted audio warning is now accessible for screen readers
  • User lists (participants and guests) are more accessible
  • Screen reader navigation throughout the client has been improved
  • Access key added for the leave meeting dropdown menu

Core and Performance

The core GraphQL components received performance and reliability updates:

  • User list performance improved by relaxing user lock settings permissions in the GraphQL view
  • Fixed GraphQL middleware deferring subscriptions until the user joins
  • Re-implemented loading in GraphQL responses
  • Embedded Tomcat bumped to 9.0.98 for security

Plugin SDK Updates

The plugin SDK now supports persistEvent, allowing plugins to maintain state across user sessions. Additionally, the useCurrentUser hook has been fixed to update correctly.

Build and Documentation

The build image now includes updated versions of Go, Grails, and Node.js. The recording status output has been clarified, and documentation has been updated and corrected for 3.0, including details on Multiple Hasuras configuration and default meeting layout.

We encourage administrators and developers to test this release candidate and provide feedback on the bigbluebutton-dev mailing list. Your contributions help make BigBlueButton better for everyone.