"Waiting for host to start the meeting" I HAVE started it. What do?

[PeaKL]

My participants can´t join the meeting. It says "waiting for host to start the meeting". I have started it. What am I doing wrong?

[jdott16 · Accepted solution]

Hello @PeaKL 

I believe this may have been related to an issue Zoom experienced yesterday. You can find out more on Zoom's status page at: https://status.zoom.us/incidents/r5pcn7rfbwl1 

The issue has since been resolved. If you are still experiencing issues I think that the next option would be to reach out to Zoom Support for further analysis and investigation. You can find out more on reaching support here: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362003-Zoom-technical-support. I hope this helps and please make sure to mark the solution as accepted if this information is what you needed.

[Fauxpaul · Accepted solution]

Zoom doesn't explain this option exists, but it turns out that you need to go to Account > Settings > Allow participants to join before host. There's a drop-down that allows you to select 5 minutes, 10, or 15 before start.

In other words, if you start the meeting at 12:01, but they joined at 11:59, if you didn't open this setting and allow them, they will find themselves lost in cyberspace. They will be told that they are waiting for the host to start the meeting, but even after you start it they won't be admitted. It's an ongoing glitch I've seen around the past year I've been using this platform a lot. I liaised with customer service a lot, it seems you need to know that this option exists, and not expect Zoom to perform the way it tells the participants that it will. 

[Jaloal · Accepted solution]

Sad to say, this issue still occurs, but the solution page is gone.  However, I have a new spin.  I create a meeting, and send a  link to participants and launch the meeting.  If I launch the meeting from the desktop client, they get the message, "Waiting for host..." when the try to join from the link.  If I launch the meeting from a web browser, they are able to join.  In fact, that is how it has been going.  They text me that they cannot get in. I end the meeting and relaunch from the web browser and it all works.  I have tested this with a friend who has a desktop client installed on her computer.  She is able to join the meeting when it is started from my desktop client.  My participants are random - I do not know what device they use or what is installed on it.  Would love to get this fixed or even an understanding of the problem.  I use a MacBook Pro. My Zoom desktop client is up-to-date.  I use Safari as my browser.  Many thanks for any help!

[jdott16 · Accepted solution]

Hello @PeaKL 

I believe this may have been related to an issue Zoom experienced yesterday. You can find out more on Zoom's status page at: https://status.zoom.us/incidents/r5pcn7rfbwl1 

The issue has since been resolved. If you are still experiencing issues I think that the next option would be to reach out to Zoom Support for further analysis and investigation. You can find out more on reaching support here: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362003-Zoom-technical-support. I hope this helps and please make sure to mark the solution as accepted if this information is what you needed.

[Fauxpaul]

I raised the same issue with support because it occurred consistently. It turns out there's a default setting that does not allow participants to join before the host, so that even after the host joins, the participants (who receive a message telling them to wait until the host begins the meeting) are left in a waiting room indefinitely. 

Unfortunately it is not widely known that users must go to:

Account>Settings>Allow participants to join meeting before host. Without that option activated, everyone has the experience described by @PeaKL . @mt99 did you also verify this setting? If you're having this experience consistently, it is not a temporary Zoom issue but a permanent design one.

[mt99]

Yes, my settings are settings > allow participants to join before host

My issue is slightly different. I am the host, I create a meeting, and I get a dialog box that says waiting for host to start the meeting. I get that dialog box on my pc, and my iphone. But my ipad I am able to start the meeting.  It's weird because, I create the meeting on my PC, I am the host but I can't start the meeting on my PC or Phone, only my ipad... The settings don't seem to be the issue. 

[7X8F]

Having this same issue. I am the host and I get a dialog box that says, "Waiting for host to start the meeting."

[Jaloal]

I found that once I made the mistake of launching my personal meeting room instead of the pre-scheduled meeting that I had sent a link to....could that be happening here?

[dwfunk4475]

I have started the meeting, Participants get "waiting for host to start meeting"

the above referenced solution link does not contain the solution.

This issue is still broken!

[Aeuler]

I have the same problem.  My settings look to be correct as I've checked and double-checked.  Incredibly frustrating.

[Jaloal · Accepted solution]

Sad to say, this issue still occurs, but the solution page is gone.  However, I have a new spin.  I create a meeting, and send a  link to participants and launch the meeting.  If I launch the meeting from the desktop client, they get the message, "Waiting for host..." when the try to join from the link.  If I launch the meeting from a web browser, they are able to join.  In fact, that is how it has been going.  They text me that they cannot get in. I end the meeting and relaunch from the web browser and it all works.  I have tested this with a friend who has a desktop client installed on her computer.  She is able to join the meeting when it is started from my desktop client.  My participants are random - I do not know what device they use or what is installed on it.  Would love to get this fixed or even an understanding of the problem.  I use a MacBook Pro. My Zoom desktop client is up-to-date.  I use Safari as my browser.  Many thanks for any help!

[AGS1]

I am also facing the same error, I am the host and started the meeting but my participants are not able to join the meeting. Kindly help

[mf204392]

This issue is not solved at all. If you click on that link you'll find dozens of people throughout the years with this same issue, with no solution. 

[hlentz]

hello, this issue is actually not resolved i'm still actively not able to admit anyone into my zoom room despite them being on the correct link. I pay for zoom but i am STILL not able to access live support (chat or call). The bot has not been able to answer my questions. I run a private practice over zoom, I need solutions as soon as possible please. 

[DavidMWright]

I'm having this problem too. some participants get the message "waiting for host to start the meeting" which continues after it has started. I can't access the link above - I get a "page does not exist" message.

[csarau]

I sent out 7 invites , all the same ,but only 3 of the invites were allowed to join the meeting.

[Jaloal]

Are you using the web portal or the desktop app to start your meeting.  I am beginning to believe that if I start the meeting from the desktop app, only folks with the desktop app installed on their device can enter.  If it is not installed they can't.  To fix it, I end the meeting and restart it using the web portal and then everyone can get in.  I do not believe it is a timing issue - I start my meetings long before anyone tries to join.  Still not sure about any of this, but until someone comes up with a fix, I will use the web portal.  It is very confusing to me and my guests when they are locked out.

[Buchi]

I'm seeing this issue very often recently actually. 

[soosj]

This is happening more frequently. I send a link. The participant clicks on it. I can't see them. They say they are 'waiting for the host to start the meeting.' 

We switch to Microsoft Teams.

[JaviGO]

It has happened to us often in the last two weeks. At least 4 or 5 times in different meetings. Users get the "Waiting for host to start the meeting" message, even if the meeting has already started.

If the user closes and tries to connect again with the same link, it ends up accepting them in.

I can't find any mistake on our side, in the meeting set-up or the link sharing.

Messy.

[Fauxpaul · Accepted solution]

Zoom doesn't explain this option exists, but it turns out that you need to go to Account > Settings > Allow participants to join before host. There's a drop-down that allows you to select 5 minutes, 10, or 15 before start.

In other words, if you start the meeting at 12:01, but they joined at 11:59, if you didn't open this setting and allow them, they will find themselves lost in cyberspace. They will be told that they are waiting for the host to start the meeting, but even after you start it they won't be admitted. It's an ongoing glitch I've seen around the past year I've been using this platform a lot. I liaised with customer service a lot, it seems you need to know that this option exists, and not expect Zoom to perform the way it tells the participants that it will. 

[mt99]

I have the same issue.  I create a zoom meeting on PC / Chrome, invite everyone.  Everyone can click the zoom link including me.  Zoom says 'waiting for host to start the meeting' ... but I am the host that created the meeting.  So, I them us my ipad to start the meeting and it works, so I have to use two devices to start the meeting, one to create the meeting, and the ipad to run the meeting.  It works ok, but I'd prefer if the zoom meeting worked on the PC so everywhere I travel I don't have to carry two devices (PC + ipad).  I've checked all the buttons like 'allow uses to enter meeting without host..' but the meetings still don't start until I use the iPad.  

[btgllc]

Just had the same experience. Attempted to start a meeting from link in the invitation and received "waiting for host to start meeting" message when I'm the host. Stopped when I logged in via the desk top but that's unintuitive and inconvenient. PLEASE ALLOW HOSTS TO JOIN THEIR MEETINGS FROM A LINK IN THEIR CALENDARS!

[CarlaA · Accepted solution]

Hi everyone! 

Please kindly check the email address that is signed in to the Zoom scheduler extension in Chrome?

 
Please also be aware if there are other Zoom profiles that are logged in to your browser. This issue typically arises when there's another profile logged in to the web portal and it was not properly signed out. When a user clicks a meeting link, the system will recognize the profile that is logged in instead of the profile of the host. 

Related article: Using the Zoom Scheduler extension for Chrome

Additionally, please try to reinstall the Zoom desktop client and kindly update me if it worked.

For Mac:

Uninstall Zoom version 4.4.53932.0709 and higher
 

1. Open the Zoom desktop application.
2. Select zoom.us at the top of your screen and select Uninstall Zoom.
3. Select OK to confirm uninstalling the Zoom desktop application and all of its components.
4. Once completed, reinstall Zoom on our download center.

Uninstall Zoom version 4.4.53909.0617 and below

1. Open Finder.
2. Select Go at the top of your screen.
3. Select Go to Folder...
4. Once opened, input ~/.zoomus/
5. Move ZoomOpener to your trash.
6. Once completed, repeat steps 3 through 5 for the following folders and files:
   • Folder: /Applications/ Move to Trash: zoom.us.app
   • Folder: ~/Applications/ Move to Trash: zoom.us.app
   • Folder: /System/Library/Extensions/ Move to Trash: ZoomAudioDevice.kext
   • Folder: ~/Library/Application\ Support/ Move to Trash: zoom.us
     Note: Zoom may not be installed in both the /Applications and ~/Applications folders.
7. Once completed, download Zoom from our download center and reinstall.

 
For more information, please refer to this article: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362983-Uninstalling-and-reinstalling-the-Zoom-applicati...

If after following these troubleshooting steps you continue to encounter this issue, let me know!

I hope this helps!

Carla
Zoom Community Team

[Jontenn20]

I'm on PC and I've uninstalled and reinstalled, but I'm still having this issue. I am not the host, just a participant. 

I made a post about it here:
https://community.zoom.com/t5/Meetings/quot-Waiting-for-host-to-start-meeting-quot-But-they-have-and...

[User22]

Hi @zoom team, it is the 25th of November 2024 and not only for my office work but also for an online course that I am taking, Zoom has completely become non-functional because it gives me the message that ''Waiting for the host to start a meeting'' but in reality, the hosts had started the meeting. We are now in a situation where we need to look and use alternatives to Zoom this week to continue working and taking the online course lessons. If a solution is reached to have this completely resolved then please kindly confirm over my email ***********.

[katek099]

^ I agree. I am also getting this issue arise. It looks like this has been an issue for the last few years. 

@zoom @CarlaA can you please help us find a solution as it looks like this has been an ongoing problem.