> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://bigbluebutton.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Presenting Modes: Assigned, Request-and-Approve, or Open

> Decide how the presenter role changes hands — you assign it, participants request it, or anyone can present at any time.

<Note>
  **Draft** — this page is draft documentation for BigBlueButton 4.0. The details described here may change before release.
</Note>

In 3.0, the presenter role could only be assigned by a moderator. BigBlueButton 4.0 keeps that as one option and adds two more, so participants have some agency over when they can show something to the class.

## The three modes

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Assigned" icon="lock">
    Only a moderator assigns the presenter role. This is how 3.0 worked.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Request and approve" icon="hand">
    A participant asks to present and you approve or decline.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Anyone can present" icon="lock-open">
    Any participant can take the presenter role at any time, without approval.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Set the mode

Open **permissions and policies** from the user list — the same place as [participant permissions](/docs/4.0/moderator-guide/participant-permissions-and-policies) and the guest policy — and choose the presenting mode.

## Handling requests

In **request and approve** mode, a participant's request comes to you for approval. Approve it to hand over the presenter role, or decline to leave it where it is.

<Tip>
  **Anyone can present**, combined with [minimizing the presentation](/docs/4.0/presenter-guide/minimize-the-presentation-and-switch-to-grid-view) for a grid of tiles, makes BigBlueButton function much more like a meeting tool — useful for staff meetings, group work, and student-led sessions.
</Tip>

<Note>
  Only one person presents at a time in any mode.
</Note>