Google today announced a major update to Meet, its video dating service that brings more changes to the desktop user interface, as well as a number of new features, including multipinning, so you can highlight multiple streams instead on its own, as well as new AI-based video capabilities for light adjustments, automatic zoom, and a new data-saving feature that limits data usage on slower mobile networks.
If you’re like me, you’re getting more and more tired of video dating (to the point where I often keep the camera off). But the reality is that this style of meeting will be with us for the foreseeable future, whether we like it or not.
Image credits: Google
Google notes that today’s launch is meant to make meetings “more engaging, inclusive and productive.” The new interface doesn’t seem to be a radical change, but it puts more controls and features at your fingertips, instead of hiding them in a menu. It also reinforces them in the bottom row, instead of the current system, which spreads features between the main menu bar and an additional small menu at the top.
For presenters who don’t want to be seen on screen, Meet Now also lets you minimize or completely hide your own video stream – and if you really want to take a look in your eyes, you can pin your feed to the rest grille. Google says it also intends to allow you to turn off automatic charging for all Meet calls soon.
Image credits: Google
Speaking of fixing, one feature that seems particularly useful is the ability to highlight multiple streams. This new multipinning capability will make it easier to focus on the most active chat participants, for example. This feature will be launched in the coming months.
And in a few months, some of these highlighted feeds may seem a little more interesting (or annoying, depending on your point of view), because a new feature that Google has planned – but isn’t yet ready to be released – is the replacement video background. For now, Google will offer only three scenes: a classroom, a party and a forest. The company says more will follow, but it doesn’t look like you’ll be able to bring your own videos to this feature anytime soon.
Image credits: Google
Other new features in this release include Meet’s ability to automatically spread your video a little to make sure you’re more visible in a dark environment, and to enhance your video when you’re in front of a bright background. This will take place in the coming weeks. There is also autozoom, which uses AI to automatically zoom in on you and put you in the middle of the frame. This comes for paid Google Workspace subscribers in the coming months.