Table of contents:
- Change the virtual background of Google Meet in video calls
- Improve the quality of video calls in Google Meet
- Create a digital whiteboard to improve your explanations in Google Meet
- Share your computer screen on Google Meet
- Turn on sub titles in Google Meet conversations
- Change the layout of Google Meet grids
- Attach files to Google Meet conversations
Google Meet is probably one of the most complete alternatives to Zoom that we can find on the market today. Despite the fact that the application does not have the same possibilities as the aforementioned client, the truth is that it has several functions that bring it quite close. On this occasion we have compilation of some functions that you should know to get the whole game out of Google Meet video calls
How to use Google Meet for free without having a GSuite business account
Change the virtual background of Google Meet in video calls
Unlike Zoom, Google Meet does not allow you to change the virtual background of video calls. This forces us to resort yes or yes to third-party tools, such as extensions for Google Chrome or external web pages.
There are currently a multitude of options that allow us not only to change the virtual background, but also to add virtual reality effects, such as glasses, hats, and various accessories. Snap Camera is one of these applications, although we can also resort to ManyCam, Youcam or Chromecam. Of course, due to the limitations of Google Meet, we can only use these tools on computers.
Once we have installed the application, we will start it to configure the aesthetics of the video call. Immediately afterwards, we will start Google Meet and click on the cogwheel that will be displayed in the upper right cornerNext, we will click on Video and finally on the Camera dropdown. Now we will only have to choose the source whose name corresponds to the name of the application that we have downloaded instead of the native camera of the computer.
Improve the quality of video calls in Google Meet
As a general rule, Google Meet uses low bandwidth for video calls to avoid interfering with your connection speed. This ends up having an impact on the final quality of the video calls. To change the transmission quality, we will have to access the application settings when we are making the video call. We can do it by clicking on the three points on the bottom bar, specifically in the Configuration section.
Within this section click on Video and then on Sending resolution (maximum) and Receiving resolution (maximum)If we want to improve the video quality, it is advisable to select the highest supported quality (720p in our case). Of course, the stability of the connection could be affected by the occupied bandwidth.
Create a digital whiteboard to improve your explanations in Google Meet
As an educational tool that it is, Google Meet has a series of options for the educational sector. One of the most interesting options that we can find is the possibility of creating a virtual whiteboard. Activating this whiteboard is as simple as clicking on the three dots in the bottom bar with the video call started and selecting the Whiteboard option
Then, the tool will create a link to access the board independently from Google Meet.Just copy and paste the link in the conversation to send it to the rest of the participants From the same window we can create annotations, draw doodles, write text, add images, create geometric shapes, add a custom background and even create different screens. The possibilities are endless.
Share your computer screen on Google Meet
Google Meet also allows us to share the computer screen with a simple mouse click. With the video call started, click on the Present now option that is shown in the bottom bar, next to the three Options points. After accepting the corresponding permissions, the application will begin to show our entire desktop.
From the upper part we can manage the display of the two windows, that is, the window with our desktop and the window corresponding to the camera image.
Turn on sub titles in Google Meet conversations
Did you know that Google Meet has a sub titles tool that transcribes voice to text in real time? Although the recognition speed is not the fastest, it does have a relatively acceptable success rate. To activate this function, all we have to do is click on the three points of Options and immediately on Activate sub titles
This is how sub titles are displayed in real time when we speak.
The application will automatically begin to transcribe everything spoken in the conversation, including the voices of the other participants. Ideal for users with hearing problems.
Change the layout of Google Meet grids
If the number of participants in the conversation is high, Google Meet allows us to change the layout of the grid of participants. By clicking on the three Options points, in Change design, we can configure the grid to our liking, from the format of the cells to the size of each window.
Attach files to Google Meet conversations
By default, Google Meet doesn't allow you to attach files from the native app options. To do this, we will have to resort to Google calendar events.
First of all, we will have to create an event within the Google calendar through the tool's options. Within the event, click on Add Google Meet video call to schedule the event on the calendar of calls.
Before saving the event in the calendar we will have to attach the file that we want to add to the video call through the corresponding option The The file in question can be attached from our Google Drive account or from the internal storage of our device. To manage the attached files, we will click on the option Meeting details with the call started.
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