Zoom stuck on “Waiting for host” after the meeting has started

Welcome to the Zoom community, ​@Raxa! Yes, this can happen, and the first thing I’d check is whether you’re actually landing in the same meeting session as everyone else.

If other participants are already in the meeting while you’re still seeing “Waiting for host,” a few things are worth checking:

• Meeting link or meeting ID: If this is a recurring meeting, make sure you’re using the latest invite. An older calendar invite or saved link can point you to a different meeting instance.
• Waiting Room or Join Before Host: The host’s settings can prevent participants from entering until the host starts the meeting or admits them. For recurring meetings, these settings can also be worth reviewing on the host side.
• How you joined: Try joining from the Zoom desktop app if you normally use the browser, or vice versa. Also check that you’re signed in with the Zoom account you normally use for that meeting.
• Zoom app version: If the problem keeps happening, make sure your Zoom app is up to date. It’s less likely to be the cause if everyone else can join normally, but it’s still worth ruling out
• Connection: A connection issue can sometimes interfere with joining, although I’d look at the meeting link and host settings first when other participants are already inside.

One useful clue is whether this happens only with one host or one recurring meeting, or with different Zoom meetings. If it’s consistently the same meeting, I’d have the host check the meeting’s Waiting Room and Join Before Host settings first.

And if everyone else is getting in while you’re stuck, I’d compare the exact link or meeting ID you’re using with someone who successfully joined. That can quickly tell you whether this is a meeting-settings issue or simply a different meeting instance.