It’s ridiculous to link this to the crisis we faced when we were straining our fingers to find the mute button during a video call. Google Meet is experimenting with a new look so that it can better help its web-based users conduct the process in a less cumbersome manner.
Till now, Google Meet only allowed you to make permanent changes to audio and video, but when the need arises to change those parameters during a call, it requires going into Settings. With this redesign process, we focused mostly on in-meeting controls, evolving them to allow convenient user control.
Google isn’t limited to just the basic on/off toggle but is also testing larger pill-shaped buttons to control microphone and camera operations. These buttons are now activated with a single click to mute the mic/turn the camera on or turn the microphone off/turn off the camera. Still, the moment is advantageous when a small arrow appears on one of the buttons.
Pressing the arrow brings up a “fly menu” containing a group of “To the point” items. Via the Microphone menu, users toggle between the connected microphone and speaker, and the Camera menu brings the option to select the exact webcam. Last but not least, in both menus there are switches available to access the Effects panel to change the background or apply filters.
This redesign integrates Material Design ideas, reflecting Google’s trend of rounded design corners. It saves you time by eliminating unnecessary steps that otherwise lead to multiple user interfaces.
Unfortunately, there has been little time to test this yet. No surprises, no notices, it’s hard to find the same font everywhere. This preview of the future Google Meet shows a creation process that is faster and easier for video conferencing.
