Google Meet receives feature updates, user interface improvements

Google Meet was made available to all Gmail users in April last year. The video conferencing tool seamlessly integrates with other products in Google's ecosystem such as Google Calendar and Google Docs.

The latest update to Google Meet brings a refreshing new user interface (UI), so video feeds from the call's participants take up most of the empty space.

Google said that participants' names will always be visible on their video feed, so users can "better engage with everyone on the call".

Additionally, users will be able to pin multiple participants or content tiles, as opposed to being able to pin just one previously.

Google said that based on user feedback, it has added the ability to resize, reposition, or hide one's video.

Among functional improvements, Google Meet will get a new Data Saver option that limits data usage. The feature would be particularly helpful for regions with low bandwidth or expensive internet plans.

This feature was introduced for the mobile app earlier.

Google also incorporated an artificial intelligence-powered (AI) low-light mode that artificially compensates for poor ambient lighting conditions, making the user's face brighter and clearer.

Another AI-powered feature called Autozoom seems to use facial recognition and object tracking to automatically position a user's face in the center of their video feed.

We believe the feature digitally zooms in on the person's face if they move away from the center of the frame.

The company said that Autozoom will be available only to Workspace subscribers initially.

Lastly, Google Meet now features three new animated video backdrops—a forest, a classroom, and a party (pictured). The search giant said that more video backgrounds will be added in the near future.

Until now, Meet only allowed static background images or AI-powered background blur effects.

The new Google Meet features (besides Autozoom) will begin rolling out in the coming weeks.