Allowing guests to start a meeting without the organizer present

[cyonce]

We run afterschool programs that rely heavily on volunteers. We have about two to three students in a group with each volunteer. Each group has been given their own link, however our program coordinator, who was the organizer of each group/teams meeting, has to go to every link to allow them into the meeting. We have clicked on the meeting preferences to allow everyone in without having to wait in the lobby, however unless the meeting organizer is present, they still have to sit in the lobby. Is there anyway to change that?

[#2]

Apart from setting "Automatically admit people" to Everyone, try toggling the "Let anonymous people start a meeting" setting.

[#3]

@cyonce Hi, may I ask if some are dialing in? In that case the anon start setting should be toggled as mentioned above.

For more info https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/meeting-policies-in-teams#let-anonymous-people-start...

[#4]

@Vasil Michev Thank you for your response! Where can I find the "Let anonymous people start a meeting" setting? It doesn't seem to appear in my meeting settings.

[#5]

Hi, you can use this PowerShell cmdlet https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/skype/set-csteamsmeetingpolicy?view=skype-ps

(And in the Teams admin center of course)

See this as well (per meeting) https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-participant-settings-for-a-teams-meeting-53261366-...

[#6]

@Vasil Michev 

Is there somewhere where it is a default setting that meetings can start without a host, always bypass waiting room?  I set up a lot of meetings for my boss that I don't have to be in on.  It seems weird to only change that option for each individual meeting, and there is no global setting to be applied to all meetings. 

[#7]

See the lobby part https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-participant-settings-for-a-teams-meeting-53261366-...

Specifically "People I invite".

Depending on scenario you might need to enable "anonymous users can join a meeting" and "and anonymous users can start a meeting". Your admin can assist with that.

[#8]

I know how to change meeting settings for a scheduled meeting, I am asking there has to be a way to have default settings so I don't have to do it for every meeting.  I want every meeting I setup to be that way without me having to do that when I schedule every meeting.  Zoom has settings that apply to every meeting automatically without you having to do it for every meeting you schedule.  Can Teams do that?  

[#9]

You’d have to use the Teams meeting policy for that, i.e. change the default lobby setting. But possible yes. With admin assistance.

[#10]

ok, thank you. when you say Admin Assistance, are you meaning someone at MS?

[#11]

Your organizations IT administrator.

[#12]

No option for this in our paid Office365.
Why is it so hard to get a straight answer to what should have a simple solution? (I don't mean you, Vasil).

1. Someone sets up a Teams meeting on behalf of other people ie: a client and a job applicant for an interview.
2. The organiser is not attending the meeting.
3. The client and candidate are able to bypass the lobby, but ONLY if I join the meeting.
4. I don't need to join the meeting and just want it to proceed without my intervention.
5. The is no "Anonymous" setting in the paid Office365 MS Teams we use, which has no administrator as it's on subscription.
6. It's damned annoying as people are left waiting in the lobby although settings are for them to bypass the lobby.
7. Please HELP, as it seems there are loads of people with this issue, but none of the answers pertain to the issue.

Thank you.

[#13 · Accepted solution]

Surely you have Teams admin center https://admin.teams.microsoft.com/ where you control if "anonymous" users (not authenticated/signed in) can join a meeting and start a meeting. These are two separate settings.

Then use the meeting options for lobby settings if they are supposed to enter automatically or not.

The above settings are only for anonymous users, you can switch the meeting lobby setting to something else, i.e., other identities such as internal users, trusted/federated users and guests.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-participant-settings-for-a-teams-meeting-53261366-...

[#14]

Hi, I have the same issue. I have enable guest access in Teams Admin and Anonymous users can enter. But the guest still cannot start a meeting or join without a host. Please help me!!!

[#15]

In the Teams Admin Console go to Meetings-Meeting Policies and select the Global (org-wide default) policy. Located here: https://admin.teams.microsoft.com/policies/meetings. Under the Meeting Join and Lobby area there is a setting for "Anonymous users can join a meeting". Turn that on. Then turn on "Anonymous users and dial-in callers can start a meeting". Make sure "Who can bypass the lobby" is set to Everyone.

[#16]

@Jason_Sele Thanks.

However;

DONE: In the Teams Admin Console go to Meetings-Meeting Policies and select the Global (org-wide default) policy. Located here: https://admin.teams.microsoft.com/policies/meetings.

DONE: Under the Meeting Join and Lobby area there is a setting for "Anonymous users can join a meeting". Turn that on.

DONE: Then turn on "Anonymous users and dial-in callers can start a meeting".

DONE: Make sure "Who can bypass the lobby" is set to Everyone.

Still, my Guests are waiting in the lobby unless I start the meeting as the organizer.

Any idea?

[#17]

@ismaelkurban 

Those setting are the only ones that I see to control it. Are you changing the meeting options when you create the specific meeting? That could be overwriting the admin console settings. 

[#18]

@ismaelkurbanI'm assuming this is resolved since you didn't reply again, but I wanted to suggest that you may need to make a new meeting invite for the new settings to take effect. Old settings would likely persist with any meetings that were set prior to the policy change. I hope your issue is fixed!