More people are working from home than ever before, and that means more and more meetings on the go. If you’re a Google Meet user, meeting on the go just got a little easier.
Google Meet is introducing an optimized “on-the-go” mode that automatically detects when you’re in motion — whether walking, riding in a car or sitting on public transit. When Meet detects that you’re on the move, a large popup prompts you to launch on-the-go. If nothing is done, a countdown begins where the mode is automatically activated.
Also: 5 Ways to Get People to Buy Your Idea at Work
Meet’s mobile mode streamlines the overall interface and provides easy access to the most used features like mute/unmute, raise hands, and audio device selection. Only important information is displayed, Google says, like the person speaking and the number of people in the call.
Instead of the traditional interface, the screen now displays large, easy-to-press buttons. Users in on-the-go mode automatically pause their video. There is no way to turn it on and no way to watch videos from others, but there is an option to watch the content presented
“As people become more mobile,” it’s becoming more common to walk, drive or take public transportation to attend meetings, Google’s announcement said. That’s why we’re launching the on-the-go meeting experience. , which will make it easier for you to focus on critical meeting details, reduce external distractions, and conserve bandwidth with an audio-only experience.”
Also: Google’s new AI-powered tool helps users learn English with direct search
It’s worth noting that the Zoom, the Meet’s biggest competitor and the more popular option for many people, has a safe driving mode, but it’s not as robust. The Zoom option turns the meeting into audio only and automatically mutes your microphone.
Google says the feature is rolling out now and will soon be available to all Google Workspace users and Google Personal Account users. It was live when I tested it with a personal Google account on my Google Pixel 8 Pro this morning.
The mode can be activated via a button at the top of the screen while in a meeting, or automatically when your device detects you’re mobile. If you don’t want to be automatically placed in mobile mode, you can turn off that option by toggling “Use Automatically” in the Settings menu.