Google Meet gets new interface and virtual video backgrounds
Google will soon provide the web version of Meet with a new interface. This new UI should, among other things, be clearer and more accessible. Google will also introduce virtual video backgrounds in the coming weeks.
The new interface will appear in May, the company reports in a blog post. The appearance would include improvements in the video feed. For example, users will soon be able to reposition, reduce or minimize their own webcam images. Users also get the option to pin multiple video feeds, or to “unpin” a presentation and resize it.
Furthermore, all conversation options in the new interface are displayed in a toolbar at the bottom of the window, including the text chat and the list of participants. Google is also moving the end call button away from the camera and microphone buttons.
The new web interface for Google Meet. Image via Google
Google will also roll out virtual video backgrounds for Google Meet in the coming weeks. Meet previously received support for virtual wallpapers, but only static images have been supported until now. In the coming weeks, Google will roll out a new feature for the mobile version and the web version of the service, which the company calls video background replacement. This allows users to set moving images as virtual backgrounds. Three animated backgrounds will be available with the release of this feature; a classroom, a party and a forest. Other video backgrounds will follow later.
Furthermore, the web version of Meet will have a low-light mode. This feature was already included in the mobile version of the video calling service. For example, the function adjusts the webcam images to make users more visible when they are in a dark room, or when they have too much light behind them. Paid Google Meet users will have access to an autozoom feature in the coming months, where their webcam images will automatically be zoomed in on the user.
Virtual video backgrounds in Google Meet. Click for a gif. Image via Google