Google has rolled out a significant update to Google Meet, introducing a new waiting room feature designed to enhance meeting security and host control. This virtual holding area allows participants to wait until the host grants them access, offering a more managed and private meeting experience. Upon entering the waiting room, attendees will see a confirmation message, assuring them they are in the correct place. It’s important to note that this feature is disabled by default and requires manual activation by the host. This latest addition is particularly beneficial for safeguarding sensitive discussions within Google Meet.
Empowering Hosts: Preventing Unwanted Disruptions with Waiting Rooms
The company officially announced the integration of waiting rooms into Google Meet recently. This functionality empowers hosts and co-hosts to place participants in a dedicated waiting space before they are admitted to the main call. This is a crucial step in preventing unwelcome intrusions, often referred to as ‘Zoombombing,’ and provides hosts with valuable time to prepare and organize before the meeting commences.
With this innovative update, hosts gain the ability to enable waiting rooms prior to the start of any meeting, facilitating more structured and orderly discussions. They can individually admit or deny participants, or even temporarily move attendees back to the waiting room if necessary. Additionally, the feature supports one-way announcements to those waiting, making it an excellent tool for various scenarios such as interviews, parent-teacher conferences, or any other sensitive conversations.
Step-by-Step Guide: Setting Up a Google Meet Waiting Room
To enable the waiting room feature when scheduling a meeting through Google Calendar, follow these straightforward steps:
- Navigate to Google Calendar and select Create > Event.
- Assign a title to your event, input the necessary details, and then click on More Options.
- Within the Event details tab, locate and click Add Google Meet video conferencing, followed by Video call options.
- Toggle on the Waiting Room option.
- Finally, click Save at the bottom, and then Save again to confirm your event settings.
Furthermore, Google Meet users have the capability to send messages to participants in the waiting room. To do this, click the Chat icon, then select Waiting room in the ‘to’ field, type your message, and tap Send.
Hosts can effortlessly manage participants by moving them between the waiting room and the main meeting space. Simply click the People tab once you’ve joined the meeting to access these controls.
Participants in the Google Meet waiting room will receive a clear message confirming their status and indicating that they will join the call shortly. As a default, the waiting room feature is turned off for individual users. However, administrators have the flexibility to adjust this default setting at the domain, organizational unit (OU), or group level.
The rollout of this new functionality began on October 23rd and is expected to be fully available to all eligible users within 15 days. This update is confirmed for Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Essentials Plus, Education Plus, and Google Workspace Individual accounts.