[How to set up Zoom] How to automatically enter participants without permission to enter?

Some of the participants in the meeting may have felt frustrated, saying, “I want to enter the room early, but I can’t participate because I don’t get approval when it’s time.”

On the other hand, the person who became the host may have thought, “It’s troublesome for me to manage entry, so I’d like to have participants enter automatically without waiting.”

Therefore, this time, we will introduce a method for participants to automatically join the meeting without Zoom’s entry permission . At the same time, let’s check what kind of risks there are when disabling the waiting room, and what to do if the setting change does not go well.

This article is for people who:

• People who find it troublesome to give permission to enter the Zoom meeting by themselves
• People who want to automate Zoom entry without a waiting room
• People who are concerned about the disadvantages of losing the waiting room

What is Zoom’s waiting room function?

In the first place , Zoom’s waiting room function is a function that allows the host to manage the entry of participants into the meeting room .

The Waiting Room feature is enabled by default, so if you host a meeting as the host, you’ll be able to pool participants in the waiting room. The host can select either a method of confirming the participants one by one and allowing them to enter the room, or a method of collectively entering the room when all the participants are present.

From the Zoom participant‘s point of view, if the waiting room is enabled, they will not be able to join the meeting until the host gives permission to enter. Without a waiting room, participants will automatically enter the meeting room and join the meeting before the host.

Risks of not having a waiting room

Some Zoom hosts may find it a hassle to allow entry, but disabling the waiting room makes it harder to manage meetings because participants automatically enter.

For example, if the Zoom meeting URL is leaked to an outsider by mistake, a third party can join the meeting without permission if the waiting room is disabled.

Also, having the waiting room enabled and allowing the host to enter the room one-by-one keeps people from accidentally inviting them to join the meeting.

If you’re using the Zoom app personally, it’s easy to spot participants you’ve accidentally invited, but that’s not the case when you’re hosting a large corporate web meeting.

Enabling the Waiting Room in your Zoom meeting may prevent the risk of leading to a major data breach issue.

Based on the above risks, please carefully consider “whether Zoom’s entry permission should be automatic”.

How to let participants automatically enter the room without permission to enter

In order to join a Zoom meeting without permission, the host must change the settings.

Also, the change procedure is slightly different depending on the device that uses Zoom. Therefore, this time, I will explain how to change it separately for the PC and the smartphone application.

PC version (Windows, Mac)

First, let me show you how to set up your computer. Let’s step through how to change the default settings and how to set them for each meeting.

Disabling the waiting room (1) Change the default settings

If you want to set no entry permission by default, follow the steps below to operate your computer.

1. Sign in to Zoom
2. Click “My Meeting Settings” or “Meeting Settings”
3. Select the “Meetings” tab
4. Change the ‘Waiting Room’ toggle to gray under ‘In a meeting (advanced)’

Disabling the waiting room (2) Set for each meeting

You can freely set Zoom entry permission automation for each meeting.

However, the operation method differs depending on whether it is automated before the meeting or during the meeting, so I will explain it separately.

[Automating permission to enter the room before the meeting]

1. Sign in to Zoom
2. Open “My Meetings”
3. Click “Schedule a new meeting”
4. Uncheck “Enable Waiting Room” in “Meeting Options”
5. “save

[Automating permission to enter a room during a meeting]

1. Sign in to Zoom to start a meeting
2. Select “Manage Participants” at the bottom of the screen
3. Select “Details”
4. Uncheck “Send participants to waiting room when joining”

Smartphone version (Android, iOS)

Next, I will introduce how to set up the Zoom app for smartphones. The general flow is the same as for personal computers (PCs), but there are differences in display items, so let’s check them in order.

Disabling the waiting room (1) Change the default settings

As of July 2021, the Zoom app for smartphones is designed so that automatic entry permission cannot be changed by default.

It’s a little cumbersome, but you have to disable the waiting room for each meeting.

If you really want to automate the entry permission by default, sign in to Zoom from your computer (PC) and change the settings.

Disabling the waiting room (2) Set for each meeting

We will introduce how to automate the entry of participants for each meeting with a smartphone app. Note that the setting method differs depending on when the waiting room is disabled.

[Automating permission to enter the room before the meeting]

1. Launch the Zoom app
2. Tap “Meeting”
3. Tap “Edit”
4. Turn the ‘Enable Waiting Room’ toggle white

[Automating permission to enter a room during a meeting]

1. Open the Zoom app and start a meeting
2. Tap “Details” at the bottom of the screen
3. Tap “Advanced Settings”
4. Change the “Send participants to waiting room when joining” toggle to white
5. “save

What to do if Zoom’s entry permission cannot be automatic

Some of the people who are in trouble because they can’t automatically enter the room may be thinking, “Is the license you are using a free version?” However, Zoom entry permission can be automated/disabled not only with a paid license but also with a free license .

If you can’t change the settings for automatic room entry, let’s check the default settings.

Specifically, check the contents of “Meeting Settings” and “My Meeting Settings” while signed in to Zoom.

Only the host can set automatic entry permission

It is an optional feature for the host when joining a Zoom meeting organized by the host. Therefore, even if the waiting room is disabled in the participant’s settings, the participant will not be able to enter the room automatically if the host has enabled it.

In this case, ask the host to change the settings so that you can enter the room automatically, or wait until you receive permission to enter the room.

summary

Not long ago, Zoom’s Waiting Room feature wasn’t the default setting. Participants were automatically put into the meeting room without permission from the host to enter.

However, as the number of users of Zoom increased, there was a problem that people other than the original participants participated in the meeting, so the waiting room function was defaulted and the host’s permission to enter was required.

However, depending on the type of meeting and the number of participants, it may be more convenient for the host to automatically enter the meeting room rather than allow the participants to enter.

In such a case, follow the steps introduced here to disable the waiting room and change the settings so that participants can automatically join without permission to enter.