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Google Meet: FAQs and Troubleshooting
Google Meet, 2021. Be aware that different versions of Meet will vary in appearance and functionality.
Refer to the solutions below for Google Meet FAQs. Additional help documents are linked at the bottom, and available in Google Meet Help.
General
- Google Meet is free, available to everyone at PLU, and works well for basic web conferencing. Zoom has additional features, such as polling and breakout rooms.
- See Google Meet vs Zoom for more details.
- Meetings can be scheduled through Google Calendar. Navigate to calendar.google.com, create a new event, and click the "Add video conferencing" option.
- See Google Meet: Scheduling Meetings for more details.
- For one-on-one meetings, there is a 24hr limit. For meetings with 3 or more participants, the time limit is 60 minutes.
- Consider using Whiteboarding feature, which can be used to share a digital whiteboard with the participants.
- Alternatively, point the webcam at a piece of paper that you write/draw on.
- We dont recommend pointing the webcam at a classroom whiteboard or objects that are far away.
Technical Support
- Plug in headphones, and ask participants to do the same. This will prevent the microphone from picking up audio coming out of the computer speakers.
- Look at the toolbar at the bottom of the meeting window and ensure that your mic/camera isnt muted.
- Check device inputs. Click the More Options button from the toolbar, which looks like three stacked dots, and select Settings. Ensure the proper devices are selected under the Audio and Video tabs, and use the test options. If the desired devices dont appear, such as an external microphone or webcam, reconnect the device.
- If problems persist, consider restarting/re-joining the meeting, checking the computers system settings, and restarting the computer.
- If you scheduled the meeting beforehand, click the join link/button to re-join. This may be in a Google Calendar event, or you can click meeting title at meet.google.com.
- If you started the meeting on-the-fly (unscheduled), the meeting will most likely automatically end for all participants. In this case, you may need to create a new meeting and re-invite participants.
- If youre the participant and not the host, click the join link that was sent to you (which may be in a Google Calendar event, email, or Sakai).
- See Google Meet: Joining a Meeting for more details.
- Participants may join Meet sessions via phone. If a Google Calendar event was created for the meeting, dial-in instructions will be listed in the event.
- From the meeting, hosts can click Add People and enter the participants' emails. Participants will receive an email that includes dial-in instructions. Dial-in instructions can also be found in Meeting details.
- See Google Help: Use a Phone for Audio in a Video Meeting for more details.
- Participants may join Meet sessions via phone. If a Google Calendar event was created for the meeting, dial-in instructions will be listed in the event.
- From the meeting, hosts can click Add People and enter the participants' emails. Participants will receive an email that includes dial-in instructions. Dial-in instructions can also be found in Meeting details.
- See Google Help: Use a Phone for Audio in a Video Meeting for more details.
- This may happen with poor internet connections. If possible, conduct meetings in a space that has a good WiFi connection or connect your computer via ethernet.
Features, Tools & Capabilities
- No. The PLU licenses don't currently allow for recording.
- No. Records of Meet participants aren't recorded or saved.
- Consider asking participants to send a text chat when they join the meeting, such as "Here" or "Present," and then taking a screenshot of the chat for later reference. To take a screenshot, press (Mac) Command+Shift+3, or (Windows) Windows logo key+PrtScn.
- Participants can use the Chat to ask questions, ask over their microphone, and utilize the Raise Hand feature. We recommend setting these expectations beforehand or at the beginning of the meeting.
- Click the Present Now button at the bottom of the meeting window, and select an option. Your Entire Screen will show participants everything on your computer screen. A Window will allow you to show just a single program window (recommended).
- See Google Help: Present During a Video Meeting for more details.
- The chat window cant float on top of the shared screen or window. In order to access chat, the Meet window will need to beseen. We recommend sharing the desired window, such as a powerpoint, but keep it windowed (not full screen), and placing the Meet window next to it in order to see both at the same time.
- Consider sharing files through Google Drive.
- See Google Drive: Sharing Files & Folders for more details.
- If there are a lot of participants, only a few feeds may appear at a time. You may need to cycle through pages of feeds to see all participants. The person speaking will appear in the main window.
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