New Google Meet feature now lets you unlock high-quality virtual collaboration

What you need to know

• Google highlighted a Meet update rolling out this week that brings support for external cameras, like document cameras, external cameras, and video production tools.
• Meet will support those external cameras with 1080p streams at 30fps.
• Google Meet is also improving the screen sharing experience with quicker starts, and upgraded video quality for viewers.

Google is detailing the rollout of a new Meet feature that gives conference calls a little more flexibility.

A Workspace blog post detailed the newest update for Google Meet, which seeks to enhance the experience for users with "external production systems." Google says these auxiliary systems will include users with a video production tool, an external camera, or a document camera. What's bringing this capability is a new option within your Settings > General tab.

Users will find a new "Share content from camera" toggle. After enabling, users should find their external cameras within the Presentation icon's "Camera" option in a meeting.

Google threw in something extra, stating its support for external cameras will bring 1080p and 30fps streaming quality.

While sharing external content becomes easier, Google Meet's update adds extra improvements for device-based presentations. The post states screen shares will have upgraded video quality, which improves the viewing experience when the presenter is scrolling or showing a video. Starting a screen share becomes faster, alongside a small UI update to make starting presentations and controlling them easier.

Google ends by stating a small QoL update lets an older presentation resume if a second presenter ends their sharing session.

Google Meet's in the Spotlight

Image 1 of 2

It seems this update isn't coming to regular end-users, as Google's patch notes only highlight Workspace users. Those with Business, Enterprise, Frontline (Standard), Enterprise Essentials and Enterprise Essentials Plus, Education Plus, and individual Workspace consumers will see these Meet updates.

Those on Google's rapid-release domain will see the update beginning this week (June 4), while those on the Scheduled-release domain will begin on June 11. The update should wrap up in ~15 days for both domains.

Google's been improving the Meet experience since earlier this year when an update for Android brought a redesign and a spotlight on emoji reactions. The company said that update from February is designed to "organize features more intuitively." Moreover, emoji reactions took a front row seat during conference calls, so users can quickly react without playing with menus.

For computers, Google Meet started rolling out its classy new tile design for callers in April. Meet now utilizes its "color-sampling" capabilities to grab colors from your profile picture and apply them to your card's background. It's also worth mentioning that Google Meet will soon sunset all legacy Duo features in September. The company has been sending out notifications, encouraging users to update the Meet app and bring all of their Duo call history and messages over before September.