How to start a meeting without notifying everyone?

[MRC_2020]

I want to test Microsoft team meeting links that have been copied and pasted into meeting invites to check they work. I want to do this without notifying all the invitees. Is there a way to do this?

[#2 · Accepted solution]

You can of course do this before inviting people later. But also, clicking the link should take you to the pre-meeting lobby where you can change devices and also see the meeting name. That should be enough to see that the link works

[#3]

@MRC_2020 the whole behaviour is a bit rubbish to be honest. Notifying everyone that the meeting has started gives you no time to prep for making sure you're apps and screen sharing is set up etc.

It was much better when you could just join the meeting and not notify anyone, so all of these things are possible. Instead, we have a scenario where everyone feels compelled to join the meeting even before its time and they get to see you messing around with screens and setting up.

Less than ideal, and a poor user experience.

[#4]

Do agree

[#5]

Well put, as an organizer or host I want to join my meeting early (say 5-10 minutes before) to setup, without all participants getting the message that the meeting has started - which is what is happening now.

Entering the meeting without Teams thinking it has started is not just about checking that the link works, it is about setup.
I can think of several ways to offer this setup/prep without notifying that the meeting has started, so many analogies: A "stage entrance link" for the host and others that have the link to use. Maybe even a way to indicate start of the content / curtain up / showtime - THAT would be valuable a message to receive. Can this be done today? Send a notification to all accepted participants, even though they have not joined... (because if you have not joined, you dont see the chat, AFAIK)

[#6]

Would really like a fix for this.  As an attendee, I sometimes join meetings early so that I don't either 1) miss the meeting starting (believe it or not, I don't always get the notification that it has started) or 2) have to scramble to join when it does start.

I'd like to be able to join early if I want without other people feeling like they have to join early.  It disrupts their work for no reason.