What you need to know
- Google has made Meet better on the Nest Hub with a slew of updates.
- These include a new grid view for group video calls, pinning callers, and a new overflow menu.
- These changes are being made available immediately.
Using Google Meet for your holiday catchup? Granted, Google's made that easier to do by making Meet free, but it's also rolling out substantial improvements for Nest Hub (and other smart displays) this week when it comes to group calling.
The first feature is a useful visual tweak, from now, you'll be able to see up to 4 people at once in Meet with a new 2x2 grid view. Not everyone will fit inside that grid, so Google's also adding a new overflow menu where you can see all the call attendees who aren't visible. If you do want to pay specific attention to someone, you can now pin them on your display to keep them front and center.
Here's how it'll look once you're fully set up.
Aside from that, Google will also add a nameplate to video tiles to keep users identifiable, and an in-clock clock to keep your meetings timely.
You don't have to use Meet on the Nest if you want to make video calls, though. Despite Google focusing on this video calling service all year round, the company's consumer-focused service — Duo — still works pretty well and it's a lot of fun to use as well with filters and effects galore.
If you do use Meet though, you don't have to wait too long for all these changes to roll out, Google is making them available right now.
Nest Hub Max
The Nest Hub Max is Google's largest smart display at the moment. If you're thinking of holding video calls on any smart display, the large canvas and loud speakers should provide an optimal experience.
