Kahoot lobby settings that block or affect bots

How it works

1. Read the run's message

   It names the setting the bot met.

2. Check what you can change

   A bot name you can change; a host setting you can't.

3. Use the quiz instead

   Enter the quiz link or quiz ID if you have it.

Which Kahoot lobby settings affect bots

A Kahoot host can switch on settings that change how players join. A bot joins the way a player's phone does, over Kahoot's join service, so some of these settings stop it. This applies to the Answer Solver when you enter a live PIN, to the Game Joiner Bot and to the Flooder.

• Nickname generator: works. The bot joins as usual.
• Locked lobby: no new player can join, bot or person, until the host unlocks it.
• Two-step join: bots can't join.
• Player identifier: bots can't join.
• Name already taken: the Answer Solver retries once with a changed name.

Kahoot nickname generator

With the Kahoot nickname generator on, players pick a name from a generated list instead of typing one. Before October 29, 2026, Kahoot removed StudyOutlaws bots from these lobbies, and the run reported the game as not available even though it was open. Bots now tell Kahoot their name came from the generator, so they stay in the lobby. The Answer Solver and the Game Joiner Bot still use the bot name you entered; the Flooder uses generated names, as it always does.

Locked Kahoot lobby

When the host locks a lobby, Kahoot turns away everyone who tries to join. In a locked Kahoot lobby the Game Joiner Bot and the Flooder report: Kahoot game is locked. The host locked the lobby, so new players can't join. Ask the host to unlock it, then start a new run. Only the host can change this, so there's nothing to fix on your side.

Kahoot two-step join

Kahoot two-step join shows a pattern on the host's screen that every player must copy after entering the PIN. A bot can't see the host's screen, so no Kahoot hack bot from StudyOutlaws can get past it. The Answer Solver reports Kahoot asks for two-step join and adds: Enter the quiz link or quiz ID instead if you have it.

Kahoot player identifier

With the Kahoot player identifier setting, the host hands each student an ID to enter when joining, and only those IDs get in. A bot has no ID from the host, so it can't join. The Answer Solver reports Kahoot asks for a player ID, with the same suggestion to use the quiz link or quiz ID.

Kahoot name already taken

Kahoot keeps a player's name taken for the rest of the game, even after that player leaves. If you cancel a run and start another under the same bot name, the first bot's name is still in the lobby. The same happens when a classmate already uses that name.

The Answer Solver handles this by retrying once with two digits added, so a bot named Alex might join as Alex47. The Game Joiner Bot also retries under a changed name before the game starts. If the retry is refused too, the run ends with Kahoot refused the bot name. That name is already in this game. Pick a different bot name and start again.

What to do when a lobby setting blocks your Kahoot bot

1. Find the quiz itself

   If you have the quiz link or quiz ID, for example from the host's lobby link, enter it in the Answer Solver. It reads the quiz without joining the game, so lobby settings don't matter.

2. Check whether it's private

   A private quiz can't be read from its ID. The Private Kahoot quizzes and challenge links guide covers what works then.

3. Use the Chrome extension

   The extension works in your own game tab after you've joined the game yourself, as every player does.

4. For a locked lobby, wait or ask

   Only the host can unlock it. Start a new run once it's open.

Kahoot bot blocked? Read the exact message

When Kahoot bots can't get in, the message tells you why. A setting-specific message means the PIN and game are fine. A Kahoot game not found or not available message means the problem is the PIN or the game's timing instead; see Kahoot PIN not working. A failed Answer Solver lookup uses no task credits; the Game Joiner Bot and the Flooder charge when they start.

Common questions