Tag Archives: Google Meet

Host collaborative brainstorms with new digital whiteboarding integration in Google Meet

Quick launch summary

With the new Google Jamboard and Google Meet integration, you can now create or open an existing jam while on a Meet video call. This digital whiteboarding integration means you can use the Jamboard virtually to host collaborative brainstorming sessions with your coworkers or students in real-time, even when you can’t be in the same room.





You’ll also be able to save, share and continue the whiteboard at any time with Jamboard.

Note, you can only start or open a Jamboard during a Meet call if you joined the call on a computer. Video call participants on a mobile device or tablet will get a link to a Jamboard file and be directed to the Jamboard app.

Getting started

Admins: This feature will be ON by default for all domains with Jamboard enabled. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning Jamboard on or off for your organization.

End users: There is no end user setting for this feature. Visit the Help Center to learn more about whiteboarding in Meet.

Rollout pace


Availability

  • Available to all G Suite customers and users with personal Google accounts.

Resources

Roadmap

 

See up to 49 people, including yourself, in Google Meet

What’s changing 

You can now see up to 49 people at the same time in the auto and tiled layout options in Google Meet. 

In addition, we’ve added the ability to see yourself as a tile on the call. When you hover over your thumbnail in the top right corner, you’ll now see the option to add or remove yourself from the grid. These changes are only visible to you. 

See up to 49 participant tiles in Google Meet 


Who’s impacted 

End users 


Why you’d use it 

Seeing more people at the same time can improve the dynamics of larger group meetings and classes. Whether it's seeing everyone's reactions to what's being discussed, or more easily tracking multiple speakers, it can help virtual meetings feel more like in-person meetings and encourage participation. Additionally, adding yourself as a full tile let’s you see yourself better. This can make you feel more like part of the larger group, especially when taking screenshots or photos. 

We hope that this helps individuals and teams feel more connected while apart. 


Additional details 

This feature is only available in Meet on the web. By default, the maximum number of tiles you’ll see in auto layouts is 9, and in tiled layouts is 16. 

With this launch, you’ll also be able to use a slider to adjust the number of tiles you see. You may want to increase the maximum when you have a large group, or reduce the number of tiles if you have a weak internet connection. Note that the slider adjustments are specific to each meeting, it will reset between each meeting and you can then customize each time. You may also see fewer tiles depending on your window size, as the tiles available will adjust to fit your screen. 

Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: These features will be OFF by default. To change your layout, go to Settings > Change layout. Visit our Help Center to learn how to see yourself in a meeting. 

Rollout pace 

49-tile view 

Self view 
  • This feature is available now for all users. 

Availability 

  • Available to all G Suite customers and users with personal Google Accounts 

Resources 

Blur your background in Google Meet

Quick launch summary 

To help limit distractions during meetings, you can now blur the background of your video in Google Meet. When it’s turned on, Meet will intelligently separate you from the background, blurring your surroundings while keeping you clear and in focus. 

We recently also launched the ability to filter out disruptive background noise in Google Meet. Together, these features reduce audio and visual distractions, and help ensure more productive meetings. 

Background blur works directly within your browser and does not require an extension or any additional software. At launch, it will work on the Chrome browser on Windows and Mac desktop devices. Support for ChromeOS and Meet mobile apps will be coming soon, we’ll announce on the G Suite Updates blog when it’s available on those devices. 

Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature. 
  • End users: This feature is OFF by default. Visit our Help Center to learn more about how to blur your background on Google Meet. 

Rollout pace 

  • Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout to eligible devices (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 15, 2020 
  • Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout to eligible devices (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on September 28, 2020 

Availability 

  • Available to all G Suite customers and users with personal Google accounts. 

Resources 

Roadmap 

Introducing the Google Meet hardware Series One room kit

What’s changing

We just announced the next generation of meeting room hardware—Series One room kits for Google Meet.

Our new Series One room kits for Google Meet

Who’s impacted

Admins and end users

Why you’d use it

Employees are holding more video meetings than ever these days. We’ve developed the Series One kits to help your organization stay even more connected with features like:
  • Onboard AI with Google Edge TPUs in the smart audio bar and Meet compute system.
  • TrueVoice® proprietary voice isolation and multi-channel noise cancellation.
  • Power-over-ethernet for single cable installation.
  • New 4K smart cameras, equipped with high-resolution and large image sensors that can zoom in on and automatically frame meeting participants for better visibility.
  • Chrome OS for easy setup, along with automatic security and feature upgrades.

Additional details

Check out our announcement on the Cloud Blog to learn more about Series One and the research and technology that went into its development.

These kits will be available in the coming months. Contact Lenovo for purchasing information.

Getting started


Resources

 

More Google Meet participant controls for education meetings

What's changing

We’re giving hosts (meeting creators and calendar owners) of G Suite for Education meetings new meeting safety controls to manage who can join their meetings.

Who's impacted

End users

Additional details

Manage meeting attendees 
To control access to their meetings, hosts can turn "Quick access" on or off. By default, this setting will be on.

When "Quick access" is on:
  • Participants in the same domain as the host do not need to knock to request to join the meeting. 
  • Participants joining by phone do not need to knock to request to join the meeting.
  • Participants can dial-out from within the meeting.

When "Quick access" is turned off:
  • All users, including those in the same domain as the host, must knock to request to join the meeting unless they're on the calendar invite. This includes any users who are dialing in to the meeting by phone.
  • Any participants invited from within the meeting by anyone other than the host need to knock to request to join.
  • Only the host can dial-out from within the meeting.

Hosts can turn "Quick access" on or off as often as they wish from Google Meet on the web once the meeting has started. Note: Hosts will not see the option to change this setting on mobile devices.

If you're unable to turn the features on or off, it's possible that you have a Chrome extension for Meet which is preventing the features from working. To fix the issue, try turning your Meet Chrome extensions off.

Soon we'll be adding additional functionality to the "Quick access" setting. Stay tuned to the G Suite Updates blog for the rollout timeline for those additional features:
  • When "Quick access" is off, the host must join the meeting first. Until the host joins, participants on the web will see the message: "Waiting for the Host to Join: The meeting will start as soon as the host has joined." 
  • Hosts can turn "Quick access" on or off for meetings created in Google Calendar in addition to those created from Google Meet.

Getting started

Admins: There are no admin controls for these features.

End users: "Quick access" will be on by default and can be turned on or off by the host during each meeting. Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning these features on or off in your meetings. 

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Available to all G Suite for Education and G Suite Enterprise for Education customers
  • Not available to G Suite Essentials, G Suite Basic, G Suite Business, G Suite Enterprise, and G Suite for Nonprofits customers

Resources

Roadmap 


New look and feel for Google Meet mobile apps

Quick launch summary

We’re updating the user interface (UI) of the Google Meet mobile apps for Android and iOS. The new mobile UI will have the same look and feel as that of the meeting experience in the Gmail app.

A new look and feel for Google Meet mobile apps

In addition to the revamped design, you’ll now see a New Meeting button. When you tap on this button, you’ll see three options:
  • Get meeting joining info to share with others.
  • Start a Meet call instantly.
  • Schedule a new meeting in Google Calendar.

New options for new meetings in Google Meet mobile apps

This new UI is rolling out on iOS now; check back for an update on this post when the rollout to Android begins.

Getting started

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.
  • End users: This new UI will appear by default once you’ve upgraded your Meet iOS app to version 45 or above.

Rollout pace

iOS
Android

Availability

  • Available to all G Suite customers and users with personal Google Accounts

Resources

Cast Google Meet to your TV

Quick launch summary

You can now cast Google Meet calls to your TV or smart display.
Cast Google Meet to your TV


You can start casting before you join a meeting or anytime during a meeting.

By viewing your Meet on Cast, you can turn any room in your house into your own personal conference room. Whether you want to step away from the notifications on your laptop or phone to be more present in a meeting or you’re on mute in a larger meeting and want to concentrate on your task at hand, casting to your TV can help you be more productive and stay focused.


Meet and Cast can also pair up to simplify distance learning. Students can view their classmates and lesson plans on the big screen while working from their laptops, and teachers can get a broader view of their students on a call.


Check out our announcement on the Keyword for more information on using Meet and Cast together.

Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.

End users: To get started, you‘ll need to have a Google account, update to the latest version of Chrome, and ensure that your Chromecast device has the latest firmware installed. Google Cast functionality is available for all Meet users, and casting works on Chromecast, TVs with built-in Chromecasts, and Nest displays. Check out the Help Center to learn more.

Rollout pace

  • This feature is available now for all users.

Availability

  • Available to all G Suite customers

Resources

Enable the new integrated experience in G Suite across the web and Android

Quick launch summary

We recently announced a new integrated workspace that brings your favorite G Suite apps closer together. We’re now rolling out this workspace to Gmail on the web and Android. Stay tuned to the G Suite Updates blog for information on the timing of the launch to iOS.

Gmail will now feature four distinct components:
  • Mail, which has not changed and is the same Gmail experience users know and love.
  • Chat, which allows users to message individuals and small groups directly.
  • Rooms, which are spaces that include shared chat, files, and tasks to help groups more easily work on projects.
  • Meet, which features upcoming meetings that you can view and join.
Mail,Chat Rooms and Meet tabs Gmail on mobile

With this launch, you’ll also be able to open and co-edit a document with your team without leaving Gmail. This will make it easier for you to collaborate directly within the context of where you’re doing your work at that moment.


In addition, we’ve introduced several new tools to help you prioritize and stay focused. You can now:
  • Assign group tasks.
  • Get notified about task updates in rooms.
  • Pin important rooms so they’re easier to find and access.
  • Set your availability to “Do not disturb."
  • Better protect your time with status notices in Chat like “Out of office.”
  • See files shared in a room.
  • See integrated search results and toggle between Email and Chat results on the web.
  • Start a new meeting or see your upcoming meetings under “Meet” on the web.

We hope this new integrated experience in Gmail helps you stay focused, be productive, and collaborate more effectively—no matter what your workspace looks like.

Getting started

Admins: These features will launch to all domains with Chat preferred enabled. Chat preferred can be enabled at the organizational unit (OU) or domain level. We recommend migrating your organization all at once to avoid any disruption.

Note, certain features included in this launch require specific services to be enabled in the Admin console. Visit the Help Center for more information about ensuring you have these services properly configured.

End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about turning Chat in Gmail and Meet in Gmail on or off.

Rollout pace

  • Rapid Release domains: Gradual rollout to users (up to 15 days for full feature visibility) starting on August 12, 2020
  • Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout to users (up to 15 days for full feature visibility) starting on September 1, 2020

Availability

  • Available to all G Suite customers

Resources

 

Block Google Meet participants from knocking again

Quick launch summary

We’re making two changes to “knocking” (requesting to join a meeting) in Google Meet to reduce disruptions in education meetings.

First, if a meeting moderator rejects a knock twice from the same participant, the participant will be blocked from knocking again. This means the moderator won’t see any additional knocks from that user for the duration of the existing meeting.


Second, if the moderator ejects a participant, that participant will be unable to:
  • Rejoin the existing meeting (even if they are in-domain or on the calendar invite).
  • Knock to request rejoining the existing meeting.
Previously, when disruptive members were ejected from a meeting, they were able to continue disrupting the meeting by either re-joining or continuously knocking.


Note, if the moderator mistakenly ejects a participant, they can still add that participant to the meeting by manually inviting them. They can use the add person button in the people panel.


Getting started

Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.

End users: This feature will be ON by default. Visit the Help Center to learn more about removing Google Meet participants.

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Available to G Suite for Education and G Suite Enterprise for Education customers
  • Not available to G Suite Essentials, G Suite Enterprise Essentials, G Suite Basic, G Suite Business, G Suite Enterprise and G Suite for Nonprofits customers

Resources

Say “Hey Google” to do more with your voice on Google Meet hardware kits

What’s changing

To make meetings more seamless, all G Suite users can now simply say "Hey Google" to take action on a Google Meet hardware kit. This feature was previously available in beta on ASUS Google Meet hardware kits. It’s now generally available on those same ASUS devices, as well as on Logitech meeting room kits.

With this new feature, you can say “Hey Google” to join and leave video meetings, dial a phone number, and more. For example, try saying, “Hey Google, join my next meeting” to get started, hands-free.




Who’s impacted

Admins and end users

Why you’d use it

Voice control with Google Meet hardware can:
  • Streamline the in-meeting room experience by enabling touch-free join, exit, and dialing functionality.
  • Increase accessibility by making it easier to activate spoken feedback.

How to get started

Admins: This voice control is OFF by default and can be enabled at the domain level. Visit the Help Center to learn more about enabling voice control for Google Meet hardware kits.

End users: End users can disable this feature in the meeting room using the touch screen. Visit the Help Center to learn more about using voice control in video meetings.

Rollout pace

Availability

  • All G Suite editions

Resources