How to use the 2-step Join option to secure your game

Updated

2-Step Join is an advanced live game option that adds a quick verification step to your live kahoots. After entering the game PIN, participants must also follow a short on‑screen pattern before they can join, which makes it harder for unwanted players and most bots to access your game.

💡 Turn on 2-Step Join when you suspect PINs are being shared, you’ve had bot attacks or “fake participants”, or you want to limit access to people who can actually see your screen (in a classroom or controlled video call).

What is 2-step Join?

With 2-Step Join enabled, joining a live kahoot works like this:

  1. Participants go to kahoot.it or open the Kahoot! app and enter the game PIN as usual.
  2. Instead of joining immediately, they see a grid of tiles and must tap or click four tiles in the exact pattern displayed on your host screen.
  3. The pattern refreshes every ~10 seconds, so only people who can actually see your host screen in real time can complete it.
💡 Let learners know that if they miss a pattern, they just need to wait a few seconds for the next one to appear and try again.

💡 The PIN and pattern stay visible during the game, so latecomers and disconnected participants can still join or rejoin as long as they can see your screen.
☝️ 2-Step Join is only available for live games in the lobby. You’ll find it in the live game settings after you start hosting, not in the kahoot editor or assignment settings.

How to enable 2-step Join when hosting a live kahoot

Follow these steps when hosting from the web platform:

  1. Log in to your Kahoot! account.
  2. Open the kahoot you want to host from Library or Discover, then click Host live.
  3. Choose your preferred game mode (for example, Classic, Team, or Lecture mode).
  4. Click the gear / settings icon on the host screen (bottom‑right area).
  5. In the settings panel, scroll to the Advanced section and find 2-step Join.
  6. Toggle on 2-step Join.
  7. Ask participants to go to kahoot.it or open the Kahoot! app, enter the PIN, and then reproduce the pattern they see on your screen to finish joining.
💡 Your last used live game settings (including 2-step Join) are saved for next time, so you can keep it turned on between sessions if you want to reuse the same setup.
🔗 For a full overview of hosting workflows, see How to host a live kahoot

How joining looks for participants

When 2-Step Join is enabled, the participant experience looks like this:

  1. Participants open kahoot.it or the Kahoot! app and enter the game PIN as usual.
  2. They see a tile grid and must tap/click four tiles in the same order and pattern you see on the host screen.
  3. The pattern refreshes roughly every 10 seconds. If they’re too late, they simply wait and follow the next pattern.
☝️ If a player joins via a QR code or direct session link, 2-Step Join is still enforced. The QR code or link does not bypass the pattern step when it’s enabled, so you keep the same protection level even with quick‑join shortcuts.
🔗  For a full overview of joining options (PIN, link, QR) from the participant side, see Kahoot! join: How to join a Kahoot! game.

Best practices to keep your game safe

2-Step Join is very effective at blocking most known bot services and making it harder for unwanted players to join — but no single setting can guarantee a completely bot‑free experience.

💡 Treat 2-Step Join as one part of your safety toolkit, not the only protection. Combining it with other tools gives you the strongest results.

Here are recommended practices to pair with 2-Step Join:

Use Nickname generator and filters

  • Turn on Nickname generator to assign friendly random nicknames instead of letting players type any name. This helps reduce inappropriate names and makes it easier to spot suspicious activity in the lobby.
🔗  For more ways to prevent and manage inappropriate nicknames, see How to handle inappropriate nicknames.

Remove suspicious participants from the lobby

  • If you see suspicious or inappropriate nicknames, click the nickname on the lobby screen to remove that player before starting the game.

Lock game joining once everyone is in

  • After all expected players have joined, use Lock game joining to stop any new players entering, even if they get the PIN and pattern later.
🔗 To learn how Lock game joining works alongside 2-Step Join and other host controls, see Live game settings.

Keep sensitive kahoots private

  • For important assessments, set your kahoot to private so it’s not discoverable by services that scan public games for answers.
🔗 For full visibility options and how they affect discoverability, see How to make a kahoot public, private, or other.

Educate learners about PIN and link sharing

  • Remind learners not to share game PINs, QR codes, or screen content outside the intended audience, especially in remote or hybrid settings.

FAQ: 2-step Join

  1. Does 2-Step Join work with QR codes and session links? Yes. If 2-Step Join is enabled for the game, scanning a QR code or using a direct join link does not skip the pattern step; players still need to complete it to join.
     
  2. Does 2-Step Join completely block all bots? No single setting can guarantee a bot-free experience. 2-Step Join is very effective at blocking most known bot services, but determined attackers may still try new methods over time.
    For best protection, combine 2-Step Join with:
    • Lock game joining once all real players are in. 
    • Removing suspicious nicknames.
    • Private kahoot visibility for high-stakes games.
       
  3. Can I use 2-Step Join for assignments or self-paced games? 2-Step Join is designed for the live game lobby experience where players join a shared session with a host screen. Assignments and self-paced games use PINs and links but don’t rely on the live lobby pattern step, so 2-Step Join is not part of the assignment flow.

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