Google Meets gets a new ‘Friend Mode’ feature, with an update, that allows users to add remote members with an extra screen.
Companion mode provides remote members with all the advanced features that physical presenters have access to.
The initiative comes with the aim of making hybrid meetings equal to all members, with some in the office while others work at home, or in remote co-operative locations.
The update will get to Google Meets on the web first, followed by mobile applications.
Google has also announced that it is increasing the availability of background noise reduction for more users.
The upcoming Companion mode for Google Meets was previewed at the Google I / O event held in May 2021.
More details about the new video conference app feature feature are posted in the Google Cloud blog post.
“Companion Mode gives everyone who participates in the meeting, wherever you are, access to interactive features and controls such as screen sharing, voting, meeting discussions, handshakes, Q&A, live captions, and more,” read the blog post.
The blog post also provides details that “Partners in the meeting rooms will enable Companion Mode on their devices, give them their Video tile in the Meeting and help them stay connected to their remote partners.”
As mentioned earlier, Companion Mode will seamlessly connect room members and colleagues who join the meeting from a remote location.
Companion Mode will be available on the web and in the upcoming Web app in September, and will soon be available on mobile, Google added to a blog post.
In addition, members will also be able to RSVPs at meetings by selecting their joining locations such as Yes, conference room or Yes, joining approximately.
Google also makes Meet more secure and secure by allowing administrators to set policies for who can attend meetings and how participants participate in meetings.
The search engine will also “introduce the moderation controls of the uninitiated, empower them to block chat activity in meetings and prevent them from presenting in meetings, and allow them full control to silence and prevent participants from being silent.”
In a separate blog post for workplace reviews, Google said it was offering background noise reduction from Google Meet to Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, and users of Enterprise Standard editions.
It will be automatically unlocked for these users, as well as Enterprise Plus users from August 9.
The feature was first available last year to Enterprise Plus and Education Plus customers only, before being extended to more users.
