With more people working and learning remotely, it’s clear that video conferencing tools like Google Meet are essential. But the default experience can feel limiting.
Luckily, Google Meet extensions open up new possibilities to upgrade your meetings. Adding just a few thoughtful extensions can make your video calls more engaging, efficient, and productive.
In this post, we’ll explore 5 must-have Google Meet extensions to maximize your video conferencing potential. From better layouts to reduced background noise and easier presentations, these tools will bring exciting new features to your next online meeting.
Introduction to Elevating Your Google Meet Experience
Google Meet is a popular video conferencing platform that allows for meetings, classes, events, and more to happen virtually. While Meet offers a smooth online meeting experience, there are browser extensions that can enhance certain aspects and make meetings even more productive.
This article will cover 5 must-have Google Meet extensions including Grid View, NOOD, Meet Attendance, PushtoTalk, and Dualles. These extensions provide useful features like noise cancellation, attendance tracking, push-to-talk controls, dual screen sharing, and more.
Embracing Grid View for Enhanced Participant Visibility
The Grid View extension lets meeting hosts and participants see up to 49 people on one screen in a tiled grid layout. This makes it easy to view more attendees at once compared to Meet’s default layout.
Seeing more people’s faces and reactions creates a more natural feeling of togetherness. It also makes monitoring engagement easier for presenters and teachers leading discussions. Switching to Grid View takes one click, providing an instant perspective shift.
NOOD Extension: Your Solution for Noise-Free Meetings
NOOD (Noise Suppression on Google Meet) is an extension that removes distracting background noise from meetings. It works by actively muting microphone input when no speech is detected.
This results in much clearer audio quality without interfering sounds like keyboard clicks, pets, construction, etc. NOOD greatly reduces noise fatigue and straining to hear people speak. Meetings have more focus and less chaos.
Meet Attendance: A Simple Way to Track Participation
Tracking attendance and participation is crucial for meetings, classes, events, and more. The Meet Attendance extension displays a list of who has joined and left the meeting.
Presenters can easily monitor attendance rather than having to manually count faces on the screen. For recurring meetings, it also tracks long term participation rates. Meet Attendance takes the guesswork out of monitoring attendance.
PushtoTalk: Unmute with Ease During Online Discussions
PushtoTalk makes unmuting yourself easier during meetings. It lets you designate a keyboard button that temporarily unmutes while pressed down. As soon as the button is released, you automatically re-mute.
This gives more control over unmuting only when you want to speak up. It prevents accidental background noises. PushtoTalk also helps avoid talking over people by letting them finish before you unmute.
Dualles: Dual Screen Sharing for Dynamic Presentations
Dualles lets presenters share a separate additional screen to their main screen being broadcast. This means you can share slides, videos, or demos on one screen while having notes, scripts, or chat visible on the other.
The dual screen sharing unlocks more dynamic, interactive presentations. Presenters have better control and flexibility while viewers get a more engaging session with visual aids synchronized with a presenter’s commentary.
What are the extensions for Google Meet?
Google Meet is a popular video conferencing platform that offers a seamless online meeting experience. However, the default Google Meet settings lack certain customization options that could enhance productivity and engagement. This is where browser extensions come into play.
Here are some of the most useful Google Meet extensions to upgrade your video conferencing experience:
Meeting Notes for Google Calendar & Meet
This extension allows you to take notes directly within a Google Calendar event or Google Meet call. The notes are automatically saved to the event for future reference. Key features include:
- Real-time syncing between attendees
- Support for text formatting options like bold, lists, highlights etc.
- Ability to embed images
- Export notes to Google Docs
Google Meet Tweak
Google Meet Tweak provides several options to customize your calls. Some notable features:
- Change video quality
- Enable/disable noise cancellation
- Auto-mute when joining calls
- Hide non-video participants
- Always show chat sidebar
Google Meet Party Button
Add some fun to your video meetings with sound effects and visual celebrations using this extension. You can set customized triggers to play audio clips or show animations.
Google Meet Enhancement Suite
This add-on allows hosts to better manage large meetings with options like raising hands, Q&A, polls etc. The additional controls help maintain order and interactivity.
Virtual Backgrounds for Google Meet
Want to display a custom background instead of your actual environment? This extension lets you upload background images or videos for Google Meet.
So those are 5 of the most essential Google Meet extensions that can upgrade your video conferencing experience. Check them out to unlock additional features and customizations!
How do I update Google extensions?
To update your Google Chrome extensions, follow these simple steps:
- Open Google Chrome on your computer.
- Click on the three vertical dots in the top right corner to open the menu.
- Select “More Tools” and then click on “Extensions”.
- On the Extensions page, you will see a list of all your installed extensions.
- For any extensions that have an update available, you will see an “Update” button next to them.
- Simply click the “Update” button next to each extension to update it to the latest version.
Updating your extensions regularly is important to get bug fixes, new features, and security patches. It helps keep your browsing experience smooth and safe.
Some extensions update automatically, but checking manually every so often is good practice. If you have a lot of extensions installed, it’s a quick way to update them all at once.
How do I get more Google extensions?
Getting more Google extensions for Google Meet is easy with the Chrome Web Store. Here are the key steps:
Browse the Chrome Web Store
The Chrome Web Store has thousands of extensions that work with Google Meet.
To start, open the Chrome Web Store. Then browse or search for Google Meet extensions.
Some popular categories to check include:
- Productivity
- Education
- Accessibility
You’ll see top extensions like Grid View, Meet Attendance Tracker, Reactions for Google Meet, and more.
Check Extension Details
When you find an extension you want to add, click “Add to Chrome”.
Before installing, review what data and permissions the extension requires. Make sure you’re comfortable with this access.
Most extensions only require basic permissions needed to enhance Meet. But it’s important to verify.
Add the Extension
Once you’ve reviewed the details, click “Add Extension”.
This will install the extension directly in Chrome. You may need to grant additional permissions or restart Chrome.
Then load Google Meet to start using your new extension!
With the Chrome Web Store’s huge selection, you can find extensions for almost any need. So explore all the options to upgrade your Google Meet experience.
How much does the Google Meet extension cost?
The Google Meet Enhancement Suite is a free Chrome extension that adds useful features to Google Meet, such as virtual backgrounds, reactions, attendance tracking, and more.
The basic version of the extension is free to use. For additional premium features, there is a paid Pro version available for $4.60 per month. This includes access to 25 more tools like breakout rooms, polls, Q&A, and more advanced moderation controls.
So in summary:
- Basic version: Free
- Pro version: $4.60/month
The Pro subscription unlocks extra functionality that can be helpful for teachers, presenters, and meeting organizers to engage participants and manage larger groups more effectively. But the free basic features are still very useful for most everyday Google Meet users.
Key Advantages of Integrating Google Meet Extensions
Integrating extensions into Google Meet provides several key advantages for meetings, including better visibility, audio quality, attendance tracking, easy unmuting, and screen sharing capabilities.
Grid View: Maximizing Screen Real Estate for Meetings
The Grid View extension displays more meeting participants on one screen, providing better visibility of everyone in the meeting. By seeing more faces at once, it facilitates more natural conversations and engagement. Grid View optimizes the view for both desktop and mobile experiences.
NOOD: Ensuring Crystal-Clear Audio in Every Session
NOOD removes background noise and echo during meetings for much clearer audio. By suppressing distracting sounds like typing, rustling papers, or barking dogs, NOOD enables participants to hear each other perfectly. This leads to fewer requests to repeat what was said and more productive meetings.
Meet Attendance: Essential for Efficient Participant Management
The Meet Attendance extension tracks exactly who has joined or left a Google Meet session. By monitoring attendance in real-time, organizers can easily keep track of meeting participants. This helps ensure no one gets left behind and critical information reaches everyone intended.
PushtoTalk: Streamlining Communication with a Single Key
PushtoTalk makes unmuting yourself in Google Meet faster with a simple keyboard shortcut. Rather than fumbling for the unmute mic button, participants can press and hold a key to talk, then release it when done. This makes meetings more efficient by removing delays for unmuting.
Dualles: Facilitating Dual Screen Capabilities in Google Meet
Dualles enables presenting a separate additional screen to meeting participants, apart from the main presentation or screen share. This extra display area gives more flexibility for showing information without disrupting the primary shared screen. Presenters can exhibit slides, notes, or media seamlessly with dual screen capabilities.
Getting Started with Extensions for Google Meet
Adding extensions to Google Meet can enhance the video conferencing experience for meeting participants. However, it’s best to start slowly when enabling new extensions to avoid overwhelming users. Here are some tips to help you get started:
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Add Extensions to Google Meet
Adding Meet extensions is easy:
- Open the Chrome Web Store and search for the extension you want to add.
- Click “Add to Chrome”.
- A pop-up will ask for permission to add the extension. Click “Add Extension”.
- Once added, the extension icon will appear in your Chrome browser toolbar.
- Open Google Meet, and the enabled extension will now be available for use.
Choosing Your First Google Meet Extensions Wisely
When first exploring Meet extensions, it’s best to start small. Two great options to enable first are:
- Grid View – See more participants on one screen by displaying video feeds in an organized grid layout.
- NOOD – Take visual meeting notes and share them with participants after the call.
These provide helpful upgrades without dramatically changing the Meet interface.
Moderation is Key: Avoiding Extension Overload
While many clever extensions exist, enabling too many at once can negatively impact the meeting experience. Attendees may find excessive extensions confusing or distracting.
Aim to introduce 1-2 new extensions per meeting until participants are comfortable. Ask for feedback to ensure changes are beneficial.
Practice Makes Perfect: Testing Extensions Before Official Meetings
Before using extensions in important meetings, test them yourself first. Ensure they work properly and familiarize yourself with their features.
Trying extensions in casual meetings allows you to smoothly enable them for key stakeholders when the time comes.
Incorporating User Feedback for a Tailored Google Meet Experience
Solicit attendee feedback to shape your extension strategy. Ask participants which extensions they find most valuable over time.
Accounting for user input allows you to enable extensions that best suit your team’s needs, boosting collaboration, productivity, and meeting satisfaction.
Expanding Google Meet Functionality with Additional Tools
Briefly introduce other ways to customize Google Meet beyond browser extensions.
Google Meet offers robust video conferencing capabilities right in your browser. However, there are many additional ways to enhance and customize your meetings beyond browser extensions.
Customize Your Virtual Presence with Animated GIF Backgrounds
Virtual backgrounds in Google Meet allow you to customize what others see behind you during video calls. You can upload static images or animated GIFs to make meetings more engaging. Some creative ideas include relevant meme images, office scenes, or landscapes. Just be conscious not to select anything too distracting.
Stay Informed with Google Meet Updates and Notifications
As Google frequently rolls out new Meet features, it’s important to stay up-to-date. Enable notifications in your account settings to receive alerts about incoming calls, updates, and other announcements. You can also check the G Suite Updates Blog regularly for the latest additions.
Google Meet on the Go: Mobile Apps for Android and iOS
Don’t limit yourself to the desktop. Google Meet apps for both Android and iOS allow you to seamlessly join meetings wherever you are. The mobile apps provide the same core capabilities for video, audio, screen sharing and more. This makes Meet incredibly convenient for on-the-go collaboration.
Optimizing Audio Quality with Airpods and Other Hardware Devices
Integrating audio devices like headphones, microphones and webcams can optimize the audio and video quality of your meetings. For example, Apple AirPods provide clear sound and noise cancellation features. Do some research to find compatible devices that suit your needs and budget.
Interactive Slides and Virtual Whiteboard: Engaging Participants with Integrated Apps
Google Meet doesn’t just support video conferencing on its own. It also integrates directly with other G Suite apps like Slides, Jamboard, and Docs. Presenters can share their screen to deliver interactive presentations, while allowing others to collaborate on documents and whiteboards in real-time. This is perfect for brainstorms, workshops, trainings and more.
Conclusion: Unleashing the Full Potential of Google Meet with Extensions
Google Meet extensions provide a variety of ways to enhance and customize the online conferencing experience. As summarized in this article, extensions like Grid View, NOOD, Meet Attendance, PushtoTalk, and Dualles offer valuable features to improve Meet collaboration, engagement, and productivity.
When first exploring Google Meet extensions, it’s recommended to start with 1-2 tools that provide the functionality most relevant to your needs. For example, enabling Grid View can greatly improve the video layout and visibility during calls. Trying Meet Attendance can provide helpful insights into meeting participation if running large events or classes.
As you get accustomed to using extensions, consider layering on additional tools over time for a more comprehensive upgrade. For instance, adding reactions through NOOD or push-to-talk controls via PushtoTalk can further boost engagement. Exploring dual screen options with Dualles opens up more display flexibility.
The extensions highlighted here are just a sample of what’s available to enhance the Meet platform. Take time to explore all the options to determine which features best support your unique conferencing requirements. With the right mix of extensions installed, you can unlock the full potential of Google Meet to maximize productivity, collaboration, and overall user experience.
