
For Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Google is previewing new features across several products covering Android and Workspace, including alt-text in Gmail.
Google Meet Stories May 19
For Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Google is previewing new features across several products covering Android and Workspace, including alt-text in Gmail.
Google Meet Stories May 11
Similar to last year, Google Workspace has a presence at I/O 2022 and used it to announce features across Meet and Chat, as well as Docs.
Google Meet Stories April 12
As announced at the end of last month, Google Meet is now built into Docs, Sheets, and Slides with a prominent new button that’s rolling out from today.
Google Meet Stories April 7
Google Meet centralizes host controls, will auto remove you from empty calls
Following last week’s preview of what new Meet features are coming soon, Google today introduced two usability tweaks. Google Meet can automatically exit a call when nobody else is around, while host management controls are getting centralized.
Google Meet Stories March 31
When G Suite was rebranded to Google Workspace in 2020, the company teased that Meet was coming to Docs, Sheets, and Slides. That Google Meet integration is now coming along with desktop web Picture-in-Picture (PiP), in-call reactions and more.
Google Meet Stories March 29
Recent reporting suggested that Google Duo would soon be gaining a handful of features to match Google Meet, but our research suggests otherwise.
Google Meet Stories January 13
Back in June, Google previewed a second screen experience for video conferencing. Google Meet’s Companion Mode is now beginning to roll out “when joining a meeting using Google Meet hardware or the Nest Hub Max.”
Back in 2019, Google introduced real-time video call transcriptions and has since added support for more languages. The next step sees Google Meet beta test live translated captions.
Google Meet Stories January 11
Google is rolling out a trio of productivity updates to its iPhone and iPad productivity apps. Notably, Gmail will get a homescreen widget, while iOS Picture-in-Picture is now available for Google Meet.
Google Meet Stories December 16, 2021
We broke the news last year that Google was eventually going to replace Duo by making Meet its only video calling service. That remains the case, but the resulting product will be primarily focused on enterprise and is no longer internally pitched to be a merger of the two apps, as Google has no plans to create a dedicated consumer-oriented video offering.
Google Meet Stories December 6, 2021
Back in September, Google previewed how Chat will let you make one-on-one Meet calls without having to use URLs. Similar to classic Hangouts, this feature is now rolling out in the version of Google Chat inside Gmail.
Google Meet Stories November 17, 2021
One way of making the endless torrent of personal and work video calls more palatable is by setting unique backgrounds. Google Meet on the web is introducing new “immersive backgrounds” that attempt to give your surroundings some life.
Google Meet Stories November 16, 2021
Google Meet calls hosted by premium Workspace tiers now support up to 500 participants
Remote work is here to stay, and Google Meet is accommodating that by adding support for video meetings with up to 500 participants on select Workspace tiers.
Google Meet Stories October 12, 2021
Cloud Next is Google Cloud’s annual conference for enterprise customers and developers, and this year’s virtual edition is kicking off later today at 9 a.m. PT. Google Workspace announcements at Cloud Next ‘21 are primarily centered on security.
Google Meet Stories September 28, 2021
Back in October, Google introduced default and custom wallpapers for Meet. Google Meet is now rolling out video backgrounds that are first coming to the web.
Google Meet Stories September 20, 2021
Google Meet for web gets automatic brightness boost when you’re underexposed
Recent updates to Google’s main video conferencing service have made it easier to set visual effects and detect echos. Google Meet is now bringing brightness adjustments to the web client following the introduction of a low-light mode on mobile last year.
Google Meet Stories September 9, 2021
Google Meet adds visual effects panel to set background blur, images on the web
Video effects are useful for both personal and work calls. Google Meet is now making it easier to set visual effects on the web with a new settings panel.
Google Meet Stories September 8, 2021
While text chatting with classic Hangouts is still possible today, Google has killed most of the legacy service’s video calling features. Google will soon restore a familiar capability that lets you make direct calls using Meet without having to generate a link ahead of time.
Google Meet Stories August 23, 2021
The occasional echo on video calls is unavoidable, and Google Meet already works to “intelligently” control audio to remove it. Google will now notify you when you’re causing the echo and provide tips on how to stop it.
Google Meet Stories August 12, 2021
Google is rolling out a handful of new features for Meet that focus on improving safety and security. Namely, the ability to have co-hosts in Meet calls is coming to more Google Workspace users.
Google Meet Stories August 4, 2021
Google Meet getting another whiteboarding option with third-party ‘Miro’ tool
In addition to first-party apps, Google Workspace wants to integrate third-party tools into a user’s existing workflow. Google Meet will get another whiteboarding option with Miro next year.
Google Meet Stories July 30, 2021
Google Meet Stories July 14, 2021
Back in October, Google announced that Meet video calling would be available on Glass Enterprise Edition 2. Following a closed beta that required sign-up, Meet on Glass is now available for any Google Workspace customer/account.
In addition to video backgrounds on the web, Google is rolling out the ability to change your background in Meet for Android today. This feature is initially limited to pre-selected defaults and first came to desktops last October.
Google Meet Stories July 12, 2021
In light of COVID-19 driving all communication online, free Google Meet users with personal Gmail accounts could take advantage of group calls without a duration limit over the past year. That benefit ended at the start of this month and Google has detailed the new limitation.
Google Meet Stories July 7, 2021
For the past year or so, Google has primarily focused on catering towards the enterprise video calling market to beat Zoom. Google Meet is now making a push for personal users with a set of fun effects, like filters and masks.
Google Meet Stories July 1, 2021
In the transition to Meet, Google got rid of “Hangouts on Air,” or the ability to livestream video calls directly to YouTube for anybody to view. That feature is coming back, starting for education customers this year, but until then, Google is extending who can see internal Meet livestreams.
Google Meet Stories June 29, 2021
Following the web rollout, the Google Meet redesign is now coming to dedicated video calling hardware, like Chromebases. This is meant to ensure a consistent experience and workflow across all platforms.
Google Meet Stories June 22, 2021
Google’s fast iteration on Meet continues with a series of upcoming new features for education customers. One particular highlight for Google Meet “in the coming months” is the return of YouTube livestreams.
Google Meet Stories June 17, 2021
The Hand Raise feature in Google Meet is getting a slew of updates over the coming weeks. Everything from the end user to host experience is seeing an upgrade.
Google Meet Stories June 14, 2021
Google Meet background noise cancellation will be enabled by default for more Workspace users
In addition to an upcoming Companion Mode, Google is bringing the background noise cancellation feature in Meet to more users and making it the default behavior.
Google has been rapidly iterating on Meet in the past year, and that’s continuing today alongside updates to Gmail and Workspace. Google Meet is getting a “Companion Mode” to provide a second-screen experience as part of a push to make hybrid meetings more equitable.
Google Meet Stories June 1, 2021
In addition to rolling out a redesigned web UI, Meet is introducing what Google calls “gentle quality notifications” aimed at giving users recommendations on how they can improve performance and call quality.
Google Meet Stories May 27, 2021
In April, Google announced that Meet on the web was getting a redesign with streamlined bottom bar controls and other changes. It’s now rolling out for the first users and will be available for all in June.
Google Meet Stories May 26, 2021
At I/O 2021, Google announced several “Smart canvas” features that will better integrate the company’s various productivity apps. The ability to present from Docs, Sheets, and Slides directly to Google Meet is now rolling out.
Google Meet Stories May 18, 2021
In unveiling “Smart canvas” at I/O 2021, Google called it the “next big step” in the future of work. The goal is to create a more integrated and interactive Workspace experience, especially in Google Docs.
Google Meet Stories May 12, 2021
In pushing Meet adoption over the past year, Google made it possible to schedule a video call from nearly all of its main Workspace apps. The company today fully detailed when meeting codes for Google Meet expire.
Google Meet Stories May 6, 2021
In addition to a big web update set for next month, Google Meet is picking up a new “limit data usage” setting on Android and iOS. It allows users to further optimize video call quality for their current device and network conditions.
Google Meet Stories April 29, 2021
Google Meet and Chat will soon be installed on Chrome OS devices by default
Google’s apps for messaging and video calling, Google Meet and Google Chat, will soon be installed by default on Chrome OS devices.
Google Meet Stories April 25, 2021
Google airs ‘A CODA Story’ Oscars ad highlighting Meet and Live Caption
Following a widely-received ad during the NCAA Final Four at the start of April, Google at the 93rd Oscars aired “A CODA Story” to highlight another way COVID-19 has impacted family and communication.
Google Meet Stories April 21, 2021
With hybrid work expected to become the norm, Google Workspace today announced a slew of upcoming features for its video conferencing service. Google Meet will see a new, “richer” laptop and desktop UI next month, while a number of AI features are coming soon.
Google Meet Stories March 30, 2021
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Google has been rapidly iterating on Meet, given the demand for enterprise video conferencing. The company also made Google Meet free for personal Gmail accounts, and is now extending the availability of longer calls to June 2021.
Google Meet Stories March 15, 2021
Last year, Google’s video calling app gained an improved desktop layout to help you see everyone in large meetings. The Google Meet tile view is now coming to the mobile apps, starting with iOS.
Google Meet Stories March 8, 2021
Google Meet breakout rooms can now be set up before calls using Calendar
Over the past month, Google has announced a slew of upcoming video calling features for education and enterprise customers. Some of them are now rolling out, including the ability to set up Google Meet breakout rooms in advance using Calendar.
Google Meet adds Global Dialing subscription for Workspace customers
Internet quality can greatly vary around the world, with Google hoping to expand who can participate in video calls with a Meet Global Dialing subscription.
Google Meet Stories March 1, 2021
In October, G Suite became Workspace and last month rolled out to education customers. A new “Workspace Frontline” tier is coming as Google lays out how it wants to help users adapt to the new hybrid working environment.
Google Meet Stories February 17, 2021
As distance learning continues, Google Meet is rolling out a handful of new features, including emoji reactions to help students better express themselves and more moderation controls for teachers.
Google Meet Stories February 12, 2021
Google Meet gets fixed IP addresses for personal Accounts to help network configuration
Back in 2019, Google provided dedicated Meet IP addresses to help network prioritization. That was focused on Workspace domains, and Google Meet is now listing a range of official, fixed IP addresses for all other users.