Are you looking to jump into a Google Meet videoconference with friends, family, or co-workers? We’ll show you the best tips and tricks to make for the best online meeting experience. Whether you use Google Meet on your PC, Mac, or mobile device, such as an Android smartphone, iPhone, or iPad, these tips will help you master videoconferencing. If you are using Google Hangouts instead, we have a great guide for Hangouts tips and tricks.
Change the meeting layout
Want to change how you view other participants and content? You can alter your Layout easily when in a Google Meet video conference on a PC or Mac. To change your Layout during a meeting, click the More button (three vertical dots) and then Change Layout; here, you can select one of the available view types.
Auto: Allow Google Meet to choose the layout.
Tiled: Shows up to 16 people when no one is presenting. All participants appear in large tiles on the screen; the most active participants will appear to the side.
Spotlight: The current presentation or active participant will fill the window.
Sidebar: The active participant or presentation is shown in a large view, with additional participants shown to the side.
Add captions to Google Meet
If you are having trouble following what is being said in your videoconference, you can turn on closed captions (this feature is only available in English at the moment). Note that if you record a meeting, captions won’t appear when playing back the recording. To enable captions, click the Turn On Captions button [CC], which can be found in the lower right side of the Meet window or app on Mac and PC. On mobile, the captions button should appear in the top right corner after you tap on your video stream window once.
Control Google Meet participants
When on a Google Meet video call, you can select a participant and control different factors, including whether they are muted or pinned. Participants can also be removed from the call if desired. For personal meetings, only the event moderator can remove a participant.
Mute a participant: To mute another participant in Google Meet when on a Mac or PC, next to the person’s thumbnail, click the Options button (three vertical dots) and then click the Mute button. On mobile, tap on the People tab, then select the participant, and tap Mute.
Pin a participant: To pin a participant and keep their video in focus, click the pin icon in the participant’s thumbnail. In Android, select the People tab, tap on the thumbnail of the person you want to pin, and then tap on the pin icon. In iOS, select and hold a person’s icon and then select the pin icon when it appears.
Remove a participant: To remove a participant on Mac or PC, click the back-arrow icon, select the desired participant, and click the Remove button. On an Android device: Navigate to People, tap the person’s name, and then click the Remove button (—) and then tap Remove again. On iOS: Navigate to People, select the person’s name, and then tap Remove From Meeting. Then tap Remove.
Phone into a Google Meet conference
You can join a Google Meet videoconference using your telephone; however, your phone number must be in the U.S. or Canada. To call into a Google Meet conference, you can call the number provided to you by the meeting organizer. Otherwise, when you visit the Google Meet URL, you can select Join > Use a Phone For Audio. Then click Dial In and choose your country. After that, dial the number and enter the PIN. To disconnect from the call, click End Call.
Allow Google Chrome notifications
Do you want to allow Google Meet to send you notifications in the Chrome web browser? Follow these steps on Google Chrome on your Mac or PC to enable Meet to send push notifications to you about calls and chat messages. You can also follow these settings to disable such notifications if desired.
Step 1: Open Chrome.
Step 2: Click More (three vertical dots) and select Settings.
Step 3: Scroll down and select the Advanced option.
Step 4: Under Privacy and Security, pick Site Settings.
Step 5: Click the Notifications option.
Step 6: Scroll to Meet.Google.Com in the list and then click More (three vertical dots).
Step 7: Click Allow.
Record a video meeting
If you want to reference a Google Meet call later, you might want to consider recording it. It’s worth noting, however, that recording a meeting is only available to G Suite Enterprise users. Once you have joined a meeting on a PC or Mac, click the More button (three vertical dots), and then click Record Meeting. Once you begin recording, participants will be notified. To end recording, follow the previous steps, but click Stop Recording instead.
Once recorded, the meeting will be saved to the meeting organizer’s Google Drive. A link will automatically be sent out to the meeting organizer and the person who initiated the recording so that it can be downloaded. If you are unable to start a meeting recording, check this guide from Google, as there are multiple reasons the option may be unavailable.
Share your screen during a meeting
If you have content on your computer screen that you wish to share with others, you can do so in a Google Meet video conference. Once you want to begin sharing content, you can do so on a Mac or PC by clicking the Present Now button shown in the bottom-right corner. You will then be asked if you wish to share Your Entire Screen, A Window, or A Chrome Tab (if you’re using Chrome). Click Share to confirm you want to present. To stop presenting, click the Stop Presenting button.
If you are on an Android device, you can also share your screen on a Google Meet call. Begin by tapping the More button (three vertical dots), then click Present Screen. Tap Start Presenting to confirm you want to begin presenting. To stop presenting, tap Stop Presenting. In iOS: Tap the same More icon, select Share Screen, and then tap Start Broadcast. To end sharing, just tap Stop Sharing > OK.
Adjust your audio and video settings
Google Meet allows users to customize video resolution, which is not a feature shared by most other video platforms. Lowering the resolution can help maintain the video connection if you have a weak or spotty Wi-Fi connection. Then you can easily change to a higher resolution for better video quality if the connection improves. Changing the resolution to suit the connection is easy to do by following these steps below:
Step 1: During a Google Meet call, click the More icon and then Settings. Then select the Video tab on the left.
Step 2: Choose which type of resolution you want to change. You can select either Send or Receive Resolution. Send Resolution is what your camera will send to other members of the call, while the Receive Resolution is what you see from the other callers.
Step 3: Select the resolution you wish to use from Standard Definition (360p) to High Definition (720p). For receiving, you have additional options available to make the most of your connection. On receiving, you choose an Audio Only option, a Standard Definition, and even a One Video at a Time option.
Google Meet keyboard shortcuts
Learning how to navigate Google Meet is necessary if you’re going to be using it regularly. But if you really want to master the system and navigate it as quickly as possible, there’s one more thing to learn. If you want to maximize your use of Google Meet, learn the built-in shortcuts. These keyboard shortcuts will allow you to control aspects of Google Meet without ever having to remove your hands from your keyboard.
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