If you’re working from home, you’re likely to be dealing with a constant flood of video calls for most of the year. While there are advantages to face-to-face meetings, things can go wrong and do happen.
Fortunately, Google Meet is receiving a very useful update in the form of a “green room”. This means that it will be easier to check that everything is working properly and that you are presentable before actually joining a video call.
The concept here is not particularly new. Google Meet has included this type of buffer zone for a while, allowing you to prepare for meetings before anyone can see you. Whether that means checking that the camera is pointed at the right place, blurring the background, seeing who else is already on the call, and so on.
The crucial change here is the inclusion of a button that says “Check your audio and video”. It allows you to record a six-second video clip that shows your appearance and sound to everyone else in the meeting. It will also check your microphone, speaker, camera and internet connection to make sure everything is working.
This means that you can get to the subject at hand without worrying that no one can see or hear you correctly. It also allows you to check which hardware will work best. It’s great to have a headset, but what if your laptop’s microphone is clearer? All of these things can be discovered before you enter meetings.
The feature is live now and all you have to do is click on the Google Meet link. The “Check your audio and video” button is located at the bottom of the screen and guides you through the process.