What do you want to know
- Google is rolling out a new update to Meet on the web.
- The new update will allow you to wake up during a meeting by long-pressing the spacebar.
- You can return to your mute state by simply releasing the same key.
If you often forget to mute yourself after ringing on a Google Meet call, the search giant is introducing a handy shortcut to its video conferencing service to solve this problem.
Google announced in a blog post (opens in a new tab) that it will roll out the ability to wake you up in a Google Meet conference by simply holding down the spacebar. In turn, you will be able to return to a mute state simply by releasing the space key.
The new feature will be available on Google’s video conferencing platform from September 9, although it could take up to 15 days for everyone to see it. However, when it becomes available, it won’t be enabled by default: you must manually enable the feature by accessing Meet’s settings menu.
This will be useful for many users who prefer to join a video call silently by default. It’s especially useful for people who frequently forget to mute themselves after turning on the sound to say something. More importantly, it saves people time by eliminating the need to navigate to Meet’s built-in mute button.
However, Google is a bit late in the game. Many of the best video conferencing software tools, such as Zoom, already offer this capability. Nonetheless, it’s a great addition to Meet.
The update comes at a time when Google’s merger of Meet and Duo is puzzling. Google changed Duo’s icon and name a few weeks ago to reflect the Meet takeover. This left users with two options: the new Meet app, which combines Duo and Meet, and the Meet (Original) app, which is the legacy version of the service. Google is now bringing back the Duo icon, which when tapped takes you to Meet.