Today, Google introduced a new upgrade to Meet that will help you stay focused at your next video conference.
Even though it’s been over two years since the work-from-home order, many of us are still trying to figure out the best way to set up our WFH desks. First, our computer monitor needs to be in a comfortable place so that we don’t have to strain ourselves. This means that many people may not be in the best position on the screen when using video conferencing.
In its latest update, Google Meet can now automatically crop around a participant before they join the meeting. It helps to get rid of nearby distractions.
Google says on its Workspace Updates blog that this only happens once, so there’s no automatic subject tracking like we’ve seen with the iPad Pro’s Center Stage (which relies on newer hardware ).
This is because your camera view doesn’t change as you move, which can be annoying. However, the support article states that users can open the Settings pane to refocus during a call if needed.
For now, this feature is only available on Chrome version M91 or Edge version 91. This means that Safari users will not be able to use it.
The rollout has already begun, but some users may not see it in their accounts until late November. Workspace Business Standard/Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials/Starter/Standard/plus, Education Plus/Teaching, and Learning Upgrade, and Workspace Individual are all supported account types, but you also need a supporting device. Google’s help page has more information about this.
