Joining a Meeting
Learn how to join a BigBlueButton meeting as a moderator or guest — from entering your name to passing through the waiting room and getting approved by a moderator.
Joining via Link
BigBlueButton runs entirely in your web browser — no app installation is required. It works on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
For the best experience, use a Chromium-based browser such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Brave.
There are two types of join links:
- Moderator link — grants full control over the meeting, including managing participants and settings.
- Guest link — allows participants to join the meeting with standard permissions.
Moderators can enter the room up to 15 minutes before the scheduled start time. Guests will see a waiting screen until the conference is scheduled to begin.
Entering Your Name
Open the meeting link you received (via email, calendar invitation, or message).
Enter your name in the text field. This name will be displayed in the participant list for all attendees to see.
If an access code (PIN) has been configured, enter it in the corresponding field.
Click Join to enter the meeting.
The Waiting Room (Guest Lobby)
Depending on the meeting settings, the moderator may need to approve each guest before they can enter. In this case, guests are placed in a waiting room after clicking "Join".
The moderator sees a notification for each waiting guest and can either:
- Approve guests individually, or
- Admit all waiting guests at once.
If the meeting requires moderator approval and no moderator is present in the room, guests cannot join. Make sure a moderator enters the meeting first.
Alternatively, the meeting can be configured to let guests join without approval. In that case, participants enter the meeting immediately after providing their name.
Scheduled vs. Instant Meetings
There are two ways a meeting can be started:
- Instant meeting — the room is available immediately when a moderator opens it.
- Scheduled meeting — the room has a specific start time. Guests who join early will see a waiting screen until the meeting begins.