Google Meet Update Targets Bots With Smarter Controls

That awkward moment when a meeting fills up with unknown faces—or worse, bots—might soon be a thing of the past. Google Meet is quietly rolling out a smarter way to filter who actually gets in, and it’s not just a minor tweak.

The change zeroes in on one of Meet’s most frustrating features: the waiting room, or “knocking” system. Anyone who’s hosted a large meeting knows the chaos—dozens of requests piling up, names you don’t recognize, and the pressure to let people in quickly without making a mistake.

Now, Google is stepping in with a more intelligent approach. Instead of dumping everyone into a single queue, Meet will split join requests into two distinct streams based on risk.

Two queues, one clear message: trust matters

Here’s where things get interesting. The platform will automatically flag participants it believes could pose a risk—think bots, suspicious accounts, or unknown users—and place them in a separate queue. These aren’t blocked outright, but they do come with a warning: proceed carefully.

In fact, Google flips the default behavior here. Anyone flagged as potentially risky is automatically denied entry unless the host steps in and overrides the decision. It’s a subtle shift, but a powerful one. Instead of reacting after something goes wrong, hosts are nudged to pause and verify first.

On the flip side, users who are already part of the organization or listed on the calendar invite land in a “safe” queue. These participants are automatically approved, cutting down on manual work and speeding up the flow of meetings.

The result: less guesswork, fewer interruptions, and a much tighter grip on meeting security.

For those moments when things still get hectic, Google hasn’t removed flexibility. Hosts can still review all pending participants at once and take bulk actions—admitting everyone or clearing the queue in a single click.

Rolling out now—but not for everyone at once

The update is already making its way to Google Workspace users on the Rapid Release track. If your organization follows the Scheduled Release cycle, you’ll need to wait a bit longer—availability is expected by April 7, 2026.

Not sure which track your account is on? It’s easy to check. Head into the Google Workspace Admin console, navigate to account settings, and look under preferences. That’s where you’ll see (and can switch) your release track if needed.

It’s a small change on paper. In practice, it could save hosts from a lot of headaches—and maybe a few embarrassing moments too.

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