How to join Jitsi meeting with camera and microphone off

Introduction

Many organizations want participants to enter meetings silently — especially schools, webinars, tele-consultations, and large team meetings. The requirement sounds simple, but doing it correctly needs more than just asking users to mute themselves.

This guide explains Jitsi join meeting with audio and video off in a real practical way. You will learn how to make users automatically join muted, how to stop them from enabling mic or camera, and how admins can control the entire meeting safely.

We will cover:

• Basic mute on join
• Force mute from server
• Blocking camera/microphone permissions
• Moderator-controlled rooms
• Secure production setup

Everything is explained in simple steps so you can implement it confidently on a real Jitsi deployment.

Why You May Need Participants Muted by Default

Before jumping into settings, it helps to understand the reason behind it.

Common Real-World Cases

Online Classes

Students joining with microphone on creates noise chaos.

Webinars

Speakers talk, audience listens.

Medical Consultations

Doctor enables mic only when needed.

Support Rooms

Agent controls conversation flow.

Corporate Meetings

Prevents accidental interruptions.

So the goal is not just convenience — it improves meeting quality.

Jitsi Join Meeting With Audio and Video Off (Main Concept)

To properly configure Jitsi join meeting with audio and video off, you need 3 levels of control:

1. Client side (browser settings & URL options)
2. Jitsi configuration (default mute behavior)
3. Moderator restrictions (prevent unmute)

Most people only do step 1 and wonder why users still unmute. Real control requires all three working together.

Method 1 — Mute Users on Join (Basic Level)

This is the simplest setup and works even on public servers.

Using URL Parameters

Add parameters to your meeting link:

https://meet.example.com/roomname#config.startWithAudioMuted=true&config.startWithVideoMuted=true

Now every participant joins muted with camera off.

What This Does

• Mic starts OFF
• Camera starts OFF

Limitation

User can still turn them ON

So this is helpful but not secure control.

Method 2 — Force Default Mute from Jitsi Server

This is the correct approach for real platforms.

Edit:

/etc/jitsi/meet/yourdomain-config.js

Add or modify:

config.startWithAudioMuted = true;
config.startWithVideoMuted = true;

Now every meeting room enforces silent entry.

Mute Everyone Except Moderator

config.startAudioMuted = 9999;
config.startVideoMuted = 9999;

This means: All participants muted automatically regardless of room size.

This works perfectly for schools and webinars.

Method 3 — Prevent Users From Enabling Mic or Camera

This is where most guides stop — but this is the most important part.

Muting is not blocking.

To block users, you must use moderation.

Enable Lobby + Moderation

In config.js:

config.enableLobby = true;

Now moderator controls entry.

Moderator Mute Enforcement

Open Prosody config:

/etc/prosody/conf.avail/yourdomain.cfg.lua

Add:

muc_room_locking = true

Then restart services.

Now moderators control participant behavior.

Method 4 — Hard Block Camera and Microphone (Advanced Control)

You can block unmuting using the moderation feature inside Jitsi.

In admin panel (inside meeting):

Security → Everyone starts muted

Then disable self-unmute.

This prevents users from enabling mic or camera unless allowed.

Using Toolbar Restrictions

In interface config:

interfaceConfigOverwrite: {
    TOOLBAR_BUTTONS: [
        'chat',
        'raisehand'
    ]
}

Now mic & camera buttons disappear.

Users literally cannot enable them.

Method 5 — Browser Permission Blocking (Extra Safety)

For kiosk systems or classroom devices:

Block permissions at browser level.

Chrome policy example:

• Disable camera access
• Disable microphone access

Now hardware cannot activate even if user tries.

This is common in exam systems.

Recommended Production Setup (Best Practice)

To fully control meetings, combine all:

1. Default mute in config
2. Moderator enforcement
3. Remove toolbar buttons
4. Lobby enabled
5. Optional browser restrictions

This ensures zero accidental noise.

Difference Between Mute and Block

Many admins confuse mute with block — but they are very different.

Testing Checklist

Before going live:

• Join as participant
• Try unmuting
• Try enabling camera
• Try rejoining
• Try mobile device

If any works → configuration incomplete

Troubleshooting

• Users Still Unmute: You only used startWithAudioMuted
• Mobile App Ignores Settings: Needs server-side config, not URL params
• Moderator Cannot Control: Prosody module not enabled
• Buttons Still Visible: Interface config not applied

Security Tip

Never rely on front-end controls only.

Users can bypass browser settings using developer tools.

Always enforce rules server-side.

Real Example Scenarios

Online School

Students join silent, teacher unmutes individually

Webinar Platform

Audience cannot interrupt speaker

Telemedicine Waiting Room

Patient joins muted until doctor accepts

Support Queue

Customer waits without noise

Conclusion

Setting Jitsi join meeting with audio and video off correctly is more than just muting participants. A reliable setup requires server configuration, moderation rules, and interface control working together.

Start with default mute, then add moderator enforcement, and finally remove user controls if you need full restriction. When done properly, meetings become clean, professional, and predictable.