Google Meet is now available on Chromecast, uses camera, microphone from your computer

Ben Schoon | Aug 18 2020 - 12:57 pm PT

Video conferences are a daily part of life for millions of workers as the COVID-19 pandemic continues on, and today Google is announcing a big new feature for Meet. Starting today, Google Meet works with Chromecast devices up on your TV.

In a brief post today, Google confirms that Google Meet is rolling out to Chromecast and Chromecast built-in devices (Android TV, smart TVs, etc).

Meet on Chromecast works exclusively through the Chrome browser on your desktop or laptop computer. That’s because, when this is running, Google still uses the camera, microphone, and audio from your machine to power the experience. The meeting itself is just cast off to your TV or other display so you can view it on a larger display.

Google says that this functionality will appear when you’re about to join a meeting with a “Cast this Meeting” option. From there, you can select your device. You can also select this option during a meeting under the 3-dot menu.

With more people spending time at home these days, Meet provides the opportunity to stay connected with family, friends, co-workers, and others.
We recognize that many schools are moving to distance/remote learning, and we wanted to support this new learning environment for teachers and students. Meet on Chromecast will let you host or join meetings giving you the opportunity to connect with classmates, collaborate on projects, and even attend lectures.
As work from home opportunities increase, Meet provides an enterprise-grade solution for employees to stay connected and on top of work projects. Change up the usual environment and enjoy your morning meetings on your TV screen in the living room, with a big cup of coffee in hand.

Google can’t guarantee perfect performance on every device, but this is still a handy option to have. It also sets Google Meet apart from competitors such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams which, currently, don’t offer official ways to get your meetings on a TV outside of a good ol’ HDMI cable.

You can view the full requirements for Google Meet on Chromecast here.