Change Lobby Settings in MS Teams

Last updated on May 21, 2026

The lobby is a completely optional virtual “waiting room,” in which meeting attendees wait for you to start the meeting and let them in. Though lobbies make an extra step for students joining a Teams meeting, they also add a layer of security by providing the meeting facilitator control over who enters the meeting and who doesn’t. The following tutorial explains how to change your lobby settings for a meeting in MS Teams, if you choose.

Directions

1. Launch the Microsoft Teams Application on your computer.
   • If you don’t know where your Teams Application is, search your Computer for Microsoft Teams.
     1. For a PC:
        • Type Microsoft Teams in the search bar at the bottom left of your desktop. 
        • Open Microsoft Teams.
     2. For a Mac:
        • Click on Search, a magnifying glass icon in the top right of your desktop.
        • Type Microsoft Teams in the search bar.
2. Open Microsoft Teams.
3. Click Calendar on the navigation bar on the left.
   • Note: If you have not yet set up your class meetings in MS Teams, refer to our tutorial called “Schedule a Recurring Meeting in Teams.”
4. Select the Meeting for which you want to change the lobby settings.
5. Click on Edit.
6. Select Edit Occurrence if you wish to bypass the lobby for only one meeting or Edit Series if you wish to bypass the library for every meeting in the series.
7. Click on Meeting Options, which looks like a gear, from the top menu.
   • Note: Meeting Options will open for you in a separate web browser. If you are not already logged in, you will need to do so using your MSU Denver credentials.
8. Click on the Drop-Down Menu next to the question, “Who can bypass the lobby?”
9. Select Your Preference for who can bypass the library.
   • Everyone – Anyone who has the meeting link can join the meeting directly without waiting in the lobby.
   • People in my organization, trusted organizations, and guests – Anyone from within MSU Denver, its external trusted organizations, and guests can join the meeting directly without waiting in the lobby.
   • People in my organization and guests – Anyone from within MSU Denver, plus invited guests, can join the meeting directly without waiting in a lobby. 
   • People in my organization – Only people within MSU Denver can join a meeting directly. Anyone else must wait in a lobby.
   • People who were invited – Only those who were added to the meeting invitation will be allowed to join the meeting directly.
   • Only organizers and co-organizers – This enables you, as an organizer, and anyone added as a co-organizer, to join the meeting directly. All other participants will wait in the lobby to be let in.  
10. Click Apply on the bottom right.