Google Meet now lets you collaborate in a call right from Docs, Slides, and Sheets

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Google Meet from Docs

Google Meet has risen to become one of the biggest video conferencing apps in the world, and part of that has to be due to the ease of use and accessibility as you don’t need to download any application to join a video call on your device.

As of April 12th, 2022 Google launched the capability to use Meet directly from Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Whether you’re writing a document, putting together a presentation, or entering data into a spreadsheet, you can fire up Meet and call other users while keeping a focus on whatever you’re doing. This enables everyone in the meeting to collaborate in real-time while having a conversation all from the same tab.

Additionally, to help presenters and multitaskers see their audience while navigating different tabs and windows, Google is also bringing picture-in-picture to Meet running on Chrome browsers. Next month, you’ll be able to see up to four video tiles of meeting attendees in a floating window on top of other applications as you share content or send a message in Gmail. Clicking on picture-in-picture quickly takes you back to the full Meet session.

So how does one use Google Meet in Docs, Sheets, and Slides?

One can choose to start a new Google Meet video call from either of the editors, join an already existing video call, transfer a video call into Docs, Sheets, or Slides or just simply present your files to a Google Meet video call.

  1. How to Start a new Google Meet Video Meeting from your Doc, Sheet, or Slides
  2. How to Join a Google Meet video meeting from your Doc, Sheet, or Slides
  3. How to transfer a Google Meet video meeting into your Docs, Sheet, or Slides
  4. How to present from your Docs, Sheet, or Slide to a Google Meet Video Meeting

1.How to Start a new Google Meet Video Meeting from your Doc, Sheet, or Slides

Google Meet now lets you collaborate in a call right from Docs, Slides, and Sheets
Accessing a Google Meet Video call in Docs
  • On your browser, open a document, spreadsheet, or presentation in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides
  • At the top right, click the Meet icon.
  • To start a new meeting, click Start a new meeting. You may be asked to provide access to your browser to use your camera and microphone kindly allow this.
Start a new meeting in Google Docs
    • On the right, a side panel shows your meeting, and on the top right of your files where the meet icon was you will notice a new icon, and on hovering over it you get the following notification “You’re in a meet call in this document. Use the Meet app to control your call”.
    • To invite people to your meeting, click Copy and then share the meeting link with your guests via chat or email.
    • To present your document, spreadsheet, or presentation, at the bottom right, click Share screen and then select the tab you are in.
      • To stop your presentation, at the top, click Stop Sharing to Cancel presentation.
      • Important: When you present a tab from your document, spreadsheet, or presentation, you can’t change which tab you present. To switch between tabs or present a Window or Entire Screen you can only present from Google Meet instead. Also to initiate recording you will need to Pop-out your call to a Google Meet window instead.
    • You can also choose the Picture-in-Picture option to allow you to move your video across the document or file you are working on, kindly note this isn’t possible while presenting.
    • To leave your video meeting, at the bottom right, click Leave call End call.
Google Meet in Docs
Google Meet in Docs

2 .How to Join a Google Meet video meeting from your Doc, Sheet, or Slides

  • On your browser, open a document, spreadsheet, or presentation in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides.
  • At the top right, click the Meet Icon.
Join a Meeting straight from Google Docs
  • Choose an option:
    • To join a scheduled meeting, these are meetings within your Calendar that have been scheduled on that day. Click the meeting name you want to join and you will be joined into the meeting once the host admits you.
    • To join a meeting with a meeting code, click Use a meeting code and then enter a code, that has been shared with you by an individual inviting you to join their Google meet call.
  • To bring the meeting into your document, spreadsheet, or presentation, click Join the call. On the right, a side panel shows your meeting. If you’ve only clicked “Join the call,” it doesn’t present your file or changes how other participants view the meeting.
  • To present your document, spreadsheet, or presentation, at the bottom right, click Share screen and then select the tab you are in and then Share.
  • Important: When you present a tab from your document, spreadsheet, or presentation, you can’t change which tab you present. To switch between tabs while you present, you can present from Google Meet instead.
  • To stop your presentation, at the bottom right, click Stop presenting to Cancel the presentation.

3. How to transfer a Google Meet video meeting into your Docs, Sheet, or Slides

You can transfer a Google Meet video meeting that you are currently on directly into your Doc, Sheet, or Slides tab on the same device. This is useful when you joined a call by other means and would want to present your doc to the meeting.

  • On your computer, while you are in an active Google Meet Video call open a new tab and access the Google Doc, Sheet, or Slide that you would like to present to your audience.
  • At the top right, click the Google Meet Icon.
Bring a Google Meet to a document
  • Click Bring the call here.
    • When you bring a video meeting into a document, spreadsheet, or presentation, it doesn’t present your tab.
    • To present your tab,  click Share screen select the tab you are in, and select Share. It’s Important to note that, When you present a tab from your document, spreadsheet, or presentation, you can’t change which tab you present. To switch between tabs while you present, you can present from Google Meet instead.

4. How to present from your Docs, Sheet, or Slide to a Google Meet Video Meeting

You can present directly from a file in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides to a Google Meet video call that you are already a participant in.

  • Once on the call , open a file in a new tab that you would like to present.
  • Once on the file click the Google Meet icon on the top right of the file and select Just Present this tab
Present to Google Meet from Google Doc
Present to Google Meet from Google Docs

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