Google Meet now allows camera preview before entering calls

With the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in 2020, video calling applications have gained more attention from their developers, thanks to the increased need for remote meetings and events with teams and more.

One of the solutions that have been gradually implementing new features and improvements is Google Meet, which recently included support for offering subtitles, the “raise your hand” button, and now, the provision of a preparatory room for your users.

The idea behind this new area (called the green room) is to allow users to have a preview of how they will be displayed during the call, giving the opportunity also to choose which hardware will be responsible for the management of the microphone, camera and output of sound.

You can use this new functionality to confirm that peripheral devices are properly configured and fixed, to verify that your network connectivity is good, and to understand the impact of noise cancellation on your audio (if available for your account).

This area is accessible via the “Check your audio and video” button and will also assist in checking for possible problems, including directions on how to correct it by offering tips that can speed up entry into the room in question.

However, it is worth noting here that at least for now, the novelty is being offered only to users of the Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus packages, as well as G Suite Basic, Business, Education, Enterprise for Education and Nonprofit Customers.

For now, it has not been informed when this functionality will be delivered to users of the company’s free service.