How to Set Up a Waiting Room in Google Meet (2026)
Google Meet doesn’t have a button literally labelled “waiting room,” but it has the same thing: host controls that make people knock and wait for you to let them in. Turning off Quick access is the switch that does it. Here’s how to set it up and manage who gets in.
How the Waiting Room Works in Meet
By default, people you invited through Google Calendar can join a meeting directly. Anyone else — and anyone outside your organization — has to ask to join, and the host admits them one by one. That “ask to join” screen is the waiting room.
Turning off Quick access tightens this further, so even more people have to knock first.
Turn On the Waiting Room (Quick Access Off)
- Join the meeting as the host on a computer.
- At the bottom right, click the Host controls icon (the shield).
- Toggle Quick access off.
With Quick access off:
- People can’t join before the host.
- Anyone not on the calendar invite must ask to join.
- Dial-in callers must also be admitted.
Admit or Deny People
When someone is waiting, you’ll see an “Asking to join” notice:
- Click Admit to let them in.
- Click Deny entry to keep them out.
- If several people knock at once, you can Admit all or review them individually.
You can change Quick access at any point during the call — leave it off while you get set up, then turn it on once the right people have arrived.
Other Host Controls Worth Knowing
In the same Host controls panel you can also:
- Limit who can share their screen, send chat messages, or use the mic and camera.
- Turn on Host management so co-hosts share these controls.
- Mute or remove a participant if needed.
These pair well with the waiting room for larger or public meetings.
Troubleshooting
I don’t see Host controls
Only the host (and co-hosts, if host management is on) sees the shield icon. Make sure you created or are hosting the meeting, on a computer.
Invited guests still have to knock
With Quick access off, even some invited guests may need admitting, and external guests always do. Turn Quick access back on if you want calendar guests to join directly.
People are joining before I arrive
Turn Quick access off — it prevents anyone joining before the host and forces them to wait.
I admitted someone by mistake
Open the People panel, hover their name, and choose Remove from the menu. With Quick access off they’ll have to ask to join again.
Quick Reference
| Goal | What to do |
|---|---|
| Make people knock | Host controls > Quick access off |
| Let someone in | Admit on the “Asking to join” prompt |
| Keep someone out | Deny entry |
| Stop early joiners | Quick access off (no joining before host) |
| Remove someone | People panel > hover > Remove |
Related Google Meet guides: How to schedule a Google Meet · How to use breakout rooms in Google Meet · How to record a Google Meet · How to create a Google Meet link
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