Table of Contents
Google Meet, as part of Google Workspace Business Standard, offers a robust set of features for video conferencing and online meetings.
Core Capabilities: #
- Participant Limits: Typically allows up to 150 participants in a single meeting. (Always verify current limits with official Google Workspace documentation as they can evolve.)
- Meeting Duration: Meetings can generally last for up to 24 hours.
- Joining Meetings: Participants can join from a web browser (no software installation required for attendees), the Google Meet mobile app (iOS and Android), or dedicated Google Meet hardware. External guests (those without a Google account) can also join, often by being admitted by a host or if meeting settings allow direct entry.
Key Features: #
- Screen Sharing: Present your entire screen, a specific application window, or a single browser tab to share documents, presentations, or demonstrate software.
- In-Meeting Chat: A text chat feature allows participants to send messages, share links, and ask questions during the meeting without interrupting the speaker.
- Recording Meetings:
- Meeting organisers or hosts (from within the same organisation) can record meetings.
- Recordings typically include the active speaker and anything presented. Chat is not usually part of the video recording but can be saved separately by some tools or if enabled.
- Recordings are automatically saved to the organiser’s Google Drive in a “Meet Recordings” folder.
- Always ensure you have consent from participants before recording, as required by local regulations.
- Host Controls: The meeting host (usually the person who created the meeting or the first participant from the host’s organisation to join) has several controls to manage the meeting effectively:
- Mute or unmute participants.
- Remove participants from the meeting.
- Control who can share their screen.
- Control who can send chat messages.
- End the meeting for all participants.
- Interactive Features:
- Polls: Create and launch polls to gather opinions or check understanding during a meeting.
- Q&A (Question and Answer): Allows participants to submit questions, which can be moderated and answered by the host or presenters.
- Breakout Rooms: Split participants into smaller groups for focused discussions. The host can create and manage these rooms.
- Visual & Audio Enhancements:
- Background Blur: Blur your background to maintain privacy or reduce distractions.
- Virtual Backgrounds: Replace your background with an image or video.
- Noise Cancellation: Helps to filter out background noise for clearer audio.
- Live Captions: Automatically generated captions in real-time (available in several languages).
- Integration with Google Calendar: Google Meet links are automatically added when you schedule a meeting in Google Calendar and choose to add video conferencing. Event details and attachments are easily accessible from the Meet interface.
- Security: Meetings are encrypted in transit by default. Various security features help control access and maintain meeting integrity.
These features make Google Meet a versatile tool for team collaboration, client meetings, and presentations within the Google Workspace ecosystem.
