A Complete Guide to Using Google Meet Companion Mode

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In this digital age, remote communication and virtual meetings have become common for individuals and organizations worldwide. Google Meet has emerged as a popular platform for hosting virtual meetings, providing a seamless and user-friendly experience. One of the latest features introduced by Google Meet is Companion Mode, designed to enhance collaboration and interaction during virtual meetings. 

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the details of Google Meet Companion Mode and how integrating Krisp can elevate your meeting experience.

Understanding Google Meet Companion Mode

Google Meet Companion Mode is a feature that helps people in the same physical room as others join a virtual meeting without causing audio feedback or echo. It lets you use your device (like a laptop or phone) to access meeting tools like chat, polls, and screen sharing without turning on your microphone or camera. 

This way, everyone in the room can fully participate in the meeting alongside those attending remotely without disrupting the main video or audio setup. It’s perfect for hybrid meetings, where some people are together in a room, and others join online.

Key Features of Google Meet Companion Mode

• Screen Sharing: Share your screen from your personal device, adding a dynamic element to presentations.
• Chat and Polls: Participate in chat and polls on your secondary device without disrupting the main meeting’s audio and video.
• Raise Hand and Reactions: Virtually raise your hand or use reactions to provide instant feedback.
• Captions and Q&A: Enable captions for easier comprehension and participate in Q&A sessions via your device.

How to Use Google Meet Companion Mode

1. Prepare Your Devices: Ensure you have a personal device, such as a smartphone or tablet, and a larger screen, such as a desktop or laptop, ready for the meeting.
2. Join the Meeting: Access the Google Meet meeting link on your device and join the meeting. You will have the option to switch to Companion Mode once you have successfully joined the meeting.
3. Switch to Companion Mode: Click on the Companion Mode button on your personal device to switch to the Companion Mode view. You can now view meeting participants and content on your device while accessing meeting controls on the larger screen.
4. Interact and Collaborate: Engage with meeting participants, share your screen, chat, and access other meeting features on your device to enhance collaboration and communication during the meeting.
5. Exit Companion Mode: To exit Companion Mode, simply click on the Exit Companion Mode button on your device and resume the meeting in the standard Google Meet view.

Benefits of Companion Mode

Here are several advantages that enhance the meeting experience for all participants:

• Increased Inclusivity: Companion mode promotes inclusivity by ensuring that both remote and in-person participants can actively engage in the meeting.
• Enhanced Collaboration: It allows users to join a video call on a second screen, enabling better collaboration and productivity during meetings.
• Improved Meeting Efficiency: Users can access Companion mode to share a second screen for presentations, participate in meeting chats, raise hands to speak, and collaborate on the whiteboard, enhancing overall meeting efficiency.
• Flexibility in Device Usage: Users can connect from a second device, such as a laptop, to use Companion Mode, providing convenience and versatility for different meeting scenarios.
• Optimized Meeting Experience: By leveraging Companion Mode, participants can enjoy a more tailored and optimized meeting experience, with features like sharing screens easily and collaborating seamlessly.

Companion Mode: Key Limitations

Companion Mode, a feature available in video conferencing platforms like Google Meet, enables users to join meetings from multiple devices at the same time, improving collaboration. However, it comes with several limitations:

Limited Functionality: Companion Mode is designed primarily for controlling meeting settings, sharing content, and participating in chat. However, it does not provide full meeting controls, such as managing participants, muting others, or handling breakout rooms.

Audio Challenges: To avoid echo or feedback, users must turn off the microphone and speakers on the secondary device, making it less effective for active verbal engagement from multiple devices.

Restricted Access to Features: Certain in-meeting tools, like polls or Q&A, may not be fully functional in Companion Mode, limiting its practicality for users who need comprehensive access to these features.

Camera Limitations: While users can activate their camera in Companion Mode, their video tile won’t appear as an active speaker. This prevents confusion and ensures that only the primary device shows the video.

How to Get the Most Out of Companion Mode

Companion Mode in Google Meet enhances collaboration by allowing users to join meetings from multiple devices. However, to make the most of this feature, following some best practices is important to ensure a smooth and productive meeting experience. Here are a few tips:

1. Use Companion Mode for Specific Tasks

Companion Mode is ideal for secondary tasks like sharing presentations, controlling meeting settings, or participating in the chat. Use your primary device for core functions like speaking or presenting while leveraging Companion Mode on another device to multitask without disrupting the main meeting flow. For example, you can use one device to present slides and another to manage chat or share content.

2. Avoid Audio Interference

To prevent echo or feedback, ensure you mute the microphone and disable speakers on the secondary device used in Companion Mode. This prevents audio disruptions that could interfere with the meeting. Always check the audio settings on both devices before joining to avoid confusion during the session.

3. Leverage the Chat Feature

Companion Mode is especially useful for participating in chats without distracting from the main presentation. You can use the secondary device to ask questions, share links, or respond to messages, keeping the meeting focused while maintaining engagement. This is especially helpful for moderators or team members who need to interact without interrupting the speaker.

4. Share Content Seamlessly

If you’re sharing content, such as slides or documents, from your secondary device, Companion Mode allows you to do this without disrupting your primary device’s video feed or microphone. This creates a seamless experience where you can present while still having access to other meeting tools like chat or participant management.

Troubleshooting and Tips for Companion Mode

While Google Meet’s Companion Mode can improve collaboration, it’s not without its occasional hiccups. Below are some common challenges and practical solutions to ensure a smoother experience using this feature.

Connection Problems

If you’re having trouble connecting to a meeting in Companion Mode, start by checking your internet connection. A weak or unstable network is often the cause. Restarting your device and reconnecting can also resolve the issue. If the problem persists, check Google’s Workspace Status Dashboard for any reported outages. In some cases, clearing your browser’s cache or switching to a different browser may help.

Audio or Video Not Working

If you’ve given the browser permission to use your mic and camera but still have issues, try restarting the browser or using a different one, like Google Chrome.

Preventing Echo and Feedback

One of the more common issues when using multiple devices in the same room is audio feedback or echo. To prevent this, mute the microphone and disable the speakers on the secondary device while leaving them active on the primary one. This ensures that only one device handles the sound. Alternatively, using an app like Krisp can help eliminate any lingering background noise or echo.

Limited Feature Access

If certain features like polls or Q&A are unavailable, it could be due to an outdated version of Google Meet. Make sure you’re using the latest version of the app or browser. Also, keep in mind that some advanced features are only available to Google Workspace users, so confirm that your account type supports these functions. In some cases, switching back to the main Google Meet interface might restore full access.

Screen Sharing Issues

If you encounter problems sharing your screen or viewing shared content while in Companion Mode, first ensure that the necessary permissions for screen sharing are granted in your device’s settings. Ensure it’s properly connected and you’ve selected the correct window or application to display. If problems persist, switching to your primary device for screen sharing can be a quick fix.

Syncing Between Devices

If actions between your primary and secondary devices aren’t syncing properly, ensure both are connected to the same Wi-Fi network and logged into the same Google account. Restarting the secondary device or rejoining the meeting can resolve any lag in syncing. Clearing your browser’s cache or history may also help if there are delays or inconsistencies.

Krisp and Google Meet Companion Mode Experience

In addition to leveraging Google Meet Companion Mode for enhanced collaboration and interaction, integrating Krisp into your virtual meetings can further elevate your sessions’ audio quality and productivity. Krisp offers a range of AI-powered features that optimize audio clarity and eliminate background noise, creating a distraction-free environment for seamless communication.

• AI Noise Cancellation: 

One of Krisp’s standout features is its AI-powered noise cancellation, which automatically detects and removes background noise, external voices, and echoes from your audio. Krisp filters out unwanted sounds, leaving only your voice. This means you can work in noisy environments like busy cafes, shared office spaces, or at home with background activity without distraction.

For example, imagine you’re presenting an important proposal during a Google Meet session, but there’s construction noise outside your window. Normally, this could distract your colleagues and take focus away from your message. With Krisp, the construction noise is eliminated, allowing your audience to focus solely on your voice and the content of your presentation.

This technology is not limited to just you—it works for everyone in the meeting. So even if a participant forgets to mute their mic and there’s background chatter on their end, Krisp ensures that these distractions are filtered out. This allows everyone to experience clear, uninterrupted communication.

• Meeting Transcription: 

Krisp takes virtual meetings a step further by offering real-time meeting transcription. This feature converts your spoken words into text in real-time, creating a written record of all discussions. Having an automatic transcript of your meeting helps in several ways. For instance, if someone joins the meeting late, they can quickly catch up by reading the transcript instead of interrupting the flow to ask what they missed.

• Meeting Notes and Summary:

Another powerful feature Krisp offers is the automatic generation of meeting notes, summaries, and action items. During or after your Google Meet session, Krisp analyzes the conversation and generates concise notes and summaries of key points. It also identifies actionable items that are essential for keeping teams aligned and accountable.

• Meeting Recording:

Krisp also supports seamless meeting recording, which integrates smoothly with platforms like Google Meet. With Krisp, you can record audio and video directly through the Krisp app, eliminating the need for additional third-party tools or platforms to capture important meetings. 

Krisp not only offers meeting recording but also includes screen recording. Users can capture their entire screen or specific windows, making it ideal for product demos, tutorials, or walkthroughs. Whether showcasing software to your team or presenting to clients, Krisp ensures high-quality video and audio.

Implementing Krisp in Google Meet

Follow these simple steps to set up Krisp for better audio quality during your Google Meet calls.

1. Install Krisp

Download and install the Krisp app on your computer if you haven’t already.

2. Open Google Meet Settings

• Start or join a Google Meet call.
• Click the three dots in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
• Select Settings > Audio.

3. Select Krisp Microphone and/or Speaker

• Microphone: From the drop-down menu, choose Krisp Microphone.
• Speaker: If your browser allows it (e.g., Google Chrome), select Krisp Speaker.
• Note: Some browsers, like Safari, don’t allow changing the speaker, but the microphone will still work.

4. Configure Krisp App

• Open the Krisp app.
• Select the physical microphone and speaker you want to use.
• Enable the Noise Cancellation toggles for both the microphone and speaker.

5. Ignore Warnings

If you receive a warning in Google Meet, it’s because the Krisp mic and speaker are virtual devices. This won’t affect your call quality—just proceed.

6. Start Your Noiseless Call

After everything is set up, enjoy your noiseless Google Meet call.

Conclusion

In today’s world of remote work, Google Meet’s Companion Mode and Krisp can be game-changers for your virtual meetings. Companion Mode allows everyone to collaborate easily by allowing participants to share screens and engage with content in real-time. On the other hand, Krisp helps ensure your calls are distraction-free by eliminating background noise.

Mastering these tools will create a more engaging and interactive meeting experience for everyone involved. Embracing these technologies enhances communication and fosters a collaborative atmosphere. This makes your meetings more productive and enjoyable for the entire team.

Frequently Asked Questions