What is companion mode in google meet?

Companion Mode in Google Meet

Companion mode in Google Meet is designed to create a more inclusive and collaborative meeting experience, especially in hybrid working environments where some participants are in a physical meeting room while others are remote.

Key features and benefits:

• Second Screen Experience: Lets you use a second device (like a laptop) in the meeting room to enhance your participation. Think of it as a complement to the in-room meeting hardware.

• Increased Accessibility: Makes it easier for everyone to participate equally, regardless of their location.

• Enhanced Collaboration: Provides better access to features such as:

  • Chat: Engage in text-based conversations without interrupting the flow of the meeting.
  • Polls: Participate in polls to provide quick feedback and gather opinions.
  • Q&A: Ask and answer questions in a structured manner.
  • Hand Raising: Virtually raise your hand to indicate you want to speak.
  • Whiteboarding: Allows in-room attendees to contribute to a shared digital whiteboard.

• Reduced Feedback Issues: By disabling audio and video on the companion device, it helps prevent audio feedback issues that can arise when multiple devices are in the same room. The room's dedicated meeting room hardware should handle audio and video.

• Easy Screen Sharing: Easily present your screen from your laptop while still seeing the meeting participants on the room display.

• Joining a Meeting in Companion Mode: When joining a meeting, you'll have the option to select "Use companion mode" from the meeting join screen. This will disable audio and video on the device and provide access to the collaboration features.

• Optimized for Hybrid Meetings: It's specifically designed to bridge the gap between in-person and remote attendees, making hybrid meetings more productive.