Hi Abdulhakim!
The issue you're experiencing with students or participants rejoining a past Google Meet is very common. By default, regular Google Meet links stay active for 365 days after their last use.
While Google doesnโt have a button that literally "deletes" or instantly breaks a regular URL on demand, they have built specific host features to solve this exact problem. You can easily lock down your sessions so nobody can get back in without you.
3 Quick Ways to Block Re-entry
1. The Right Way to Hang Up: "End Call for Everyone"
When you are ready to leave the class, do not just close your browser tab or click the red phone button blindly.
- Click the red phone hang-up icon.
- When prompted, choose "End the call for everyone" rather than "Just leave the call."
- This forcibly ejects all remaining students and locks the door behind you.
2. Toggle Off "Quick Access" (Host Controls)
You can think of this as turning off the automatic key to the classroom.
- While inside your Google Meet, click the Host Controls (shield icon ๐) in the bottom right corner.
- Toggle OFF the "Quick Access" setting.
- What this does: When Quick Access is off, participants cannot join the meeting before you get there, and they cannot rejoin after you leave. Anyone who tries will be stuck in a waiting room and must be manually admitted by you.
3. If you use Google Classroom: Reset or Hide the Link
If you generate your Google Meet links directly inside a Google Classroom banner, you have extra control over them:
- Go to your Class page and click the Settings gear icon (โ๏ธ).
- Scroll down to the Meet section.
- Click the drop-down menu next to the link and choose Reset (this instantly changes the URL so the old one stops working), or toggle Visible to students to OFF between classes.
Using "End call for everyone" combined with turning off "Quick Access" in your host controls is usually the easiest and most effective routine to stop unsupervised meetings.
I hope this helps!
Best,
Sabina
