Google Meet will be getting a refreshed UI with a host of new features for Web in May. It will let users set a custom background for video calls for its Web and mobile application as well. Alongside, users will be able to adjust and pin tiles to suit the meeting. Google Meet will also allow users to resize, reposition, or hide their feed altogether. Google also said that it is working on making Meet more network data-efficient by introducing a Data Saver mode.
Google announced the updates for Google Meet via a blog post on Wednesday. In an effort to rival Zoom, Google has introduced custom backgrounds for video calls. Users can select from a variety of images and videos but it has not been confirmed whether users can upload and use their own content for this feature. For video backgrounds, users can select between a classroom, a party, and a forest. More backgrounds are expected to be added soon.
There is another feature being introduced for paid Google Workspace subscribers, who will be able to access Autozoom. This feature helps users to be clearly focussed, zoomed in, and positioned squarely in the centre. The tech giant said that this feature will be rolled out in the coming months.
Google is also adding another feature that will help users resize, reposition, or hide their video feed altogether. Users will also be able to adjust where the content is being shared and who should be visible the most. For example, in a meeting it would be ideal to have the presentation and the presenter up front and the new feature in Meet will help to achieve this.
Additionally, Google is also improving its network data usage by introducing a Data Saver mode for Meet. This feature will help limit the data usage on calls and also help in saving on data costs in countries like India, Brazil, and Indonesia. Alongside, Google Meet for Web will now analyse the background of a user during video calls. It can ascertain when a user is in a dark environment and can automatically increase the brightness to improve the visibility of the user during the call.
Is OnePlus 9R old wine in a new bottle — or something more? We discussed this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Later (starting at 23:00), we talk about the new OnePlus Watch. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.
