Google Meet: 8 simple tips and tricks for a seamless video chat
Joining a Google Meet call is as simple as clicking a link, but you may not be aware of all of its features. The video calling service has plenty of tools to help you make your calls as efficient as possible and some fun ones to lighten up those drab daily standups.
Whether you use Google Meet for work meetings or to call your parents on the weekends, you can use these tips and tricks. So grab yourfavorite Android tablet, open Google Meet, and read on.
If you haven’t used Google Meet before, check out our guide onhow to get started with the video calling app on desktop or mobile.
Change the speaker layout
Speaker layouts allow you to focus on the most important speakers by highlighting a single speaker or creating a panel of the most frequent speakers (handy for large meetings). For smaller calls, you can place everyone in equal-sized boxes.
Depending on your chosen layout, you’re able to use the slider at the bottom of the screen to adjust speaker tile sizes.
Pin speakers
Pinning a speaker keeps them on screen, even when others are talking. This may not be necessary for small meetings, but it’s a must for large meetings.
You can pin multiple tiles in this manner.
Enable live captions
Live captions transcribe speech in real-time, perfect if you’re in a busy coffee shop or on a loud commute. While it makes some errors, it’s nevertheless a useful tool.
Cast your meeting to another display
With just a few clicks, you can cast your meeting to a Chromecast or Google Nest display. This allows you to switch devices without leaving and rejoin the call.
Customize your background
From quirky backgrounds to simple portrait blurs, customizing your background helps disguise the messy kitchen behind you. Many options are available, so try a few to find the one that suits your space best.
Adjust the video resolution
Adjusting the resolution can help ease connectivity issues. You can change the resolution of the outgoing and incoming video to your preferences and set someone’s video resolution to downgrade if they aren’t speaking.
Google Meet may disable or reduce video streams automatically when the connection is poor. Don’t worry if this happens; the video will resume when your connection improves.
Improve your Meet experience with extensions
Extensions are apowerful way to improve Google Chrome, and some handy ones are available for Meet. Head to theChrome Web Storeand search forGoogle Meetto see the available extensions. There are extensions to create breakout rooms, add push-to-talk functionality, and more. Try Scribble to automatically record and save a transcript of your meeting to Docs, or use Google Meet Attendance List to keep attendance for larger meetings.
Tweak the host management settings
While the Google Meet default host management settings are sufficient for small calls, further tweaking is required to ensure larger calls run smoothly. Through these settings, you decide what actions your participants can perform.
it’s possible to now fine-tune which actions participants can use by toggling the respective switches.
Hold meetings with minimal hassle
These tips and tricks should help you make your Google Meet calls run without a snag. However, while it’s a powerful tool, WhatsApp is a better solution for informal communication with friends and family. Try ourtop WhatsApp tips and tricksto see what the messaging app offers.
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