Google Meet has a new control screen before your meeting starts

Google Meet now lets you check your video and audio before entering a new meeting. You can check whether the microphone works and whether your background image is properly hidden.

Google Meet control screen

Video meetings are a daily ritual for many employees today. Because they suddenly gained popularity as a result of the COVID pandemic, the fact is still relatively new to many users. Technical problems can and will occur.

Google is therefore making it easier for Meet users to mitigate such issues, as you can now perform a technical check before entering a meeting. Google announced this in a blog post. Before tapping the green ‘Share now’ button, tap ‘Check your audio and video’ at the bottom left. Google then shows images from your camera and shows which devices are used for image and sound.

If there are problems such as a disabled microphone, a warning with red letters appears on the screen. In addition, you can also be notified when two audio devices are connected that are not compatible. That message may appear in a pop-up notification, and if you tap it you can make adjustments.

To test

Once all the settings are correct, tap ‘Next’ and then you can record a short clip to check everything in practice. Tap ‘Start’ and then Google Meet will record a clip of a few seconds in which you talk. When it is ready you can watch it again. Factors that are still wrong are highlighted in red, and if you tap an error, Google will offer you solutions. There is also a general ‘Tips and tricks’ section. Once you’re done, remove the test screen by tapping the cross, then choose ‘Join Now’.

The Google Meet review screen is now rolling out to Meet users. The position is already active here in the editorial office. Are you happy with the technical checks? Let us know in the comments at the bottom of this article.