What you need to know
- Google Meet gets two major improvements with a new update.
- The update will allow users to share files from a floating window during the call.
- Another feature lets a user adjust the access to a shared file to a participant.
The video-calling service Google Meet is getting a new update that aims to improve and simplify file sharing.
The first new feature is a new share button found in a floating menu bar that appears during a call, allowing users to share files right away in the Meet Chat. The objective is to make it simple for all participants to gain access to content that is being presented during a meeting, which is handy in case they miss something and need to backtrack.
When an item is shared, a notification will then be sent to the call's participants through Meet Chat. The participants will receive a link in their notification from the user that will allow them to access the shared file.
The update will also present users with a new access dialogue that will prompt the call organizer each time they share or paste a link to the chat window. Through this dialogue, they can modify the call participants' access to the shared link. Additionally, the organizer can add the file to a Google Calendar event.
With the announced new features, Google wants to save the hassle of switching windows during the call to share a simple file, the company says in an accompanying blog post. The dialog window feature works similarly to the Google Docs' sharing feature, where a user can allow others to view, edit, or comment on the shared file.
The hassle-free viewing and sharing of files directly in the Meet during a call further allows the attendees to focus on the meeting rather than fiddling between windows to check the shared file.
Google says the rollout will gradually happen, including Rapid Release domains starting this week. Followed by Schedule Release domains beginning February 14. The update will be available to all Google Workspace users next to legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers. In addition, consumers with personal Google accounts are also eligible for the new update.
Google Meet is the primary video-calling app for many Android devices, although it looks like this update is geared toward desktop users. Google is currently in the process of fully replacing the company's other prominent Google Duo service with Meet as the singular video-calling experience.
