Learn the differences between Webex and Google Meet and get best practices for collaboration at work or school.
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What you'll need
15 minutes
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Get Meet: Web (meet.google.com) , Android , or iPhone & iPad
Note: The instructions in this guide are primarily web only. Get switching information for mobile devices .
Comparison at a glance
- In your browser, go to Meet .
- Click New meeting Start an instant meeting.
To start a new video meeting from Google Calendar, Gmail, or a mobile device, see Start a new video meeting .
- In Calendar , create an event.
- Click Add guests.
- Enter the names or email of the people you want to invite.
- Click Save.
- To notify guests, click Send.
Guests receive an email with the event information and a link to the video meeting.
For details, visit Start a new video meeting .
- In your browser, go to Meet .
- Select the meeting from your list of scheduled events.
- Click Join now.
To join a video meeting from Google Calendar, Gmail, or a mobile device, see Join a video meeting .
- Open the Meet Android or iOS app.
- Select a meeting and tap Join.
Only meetings scheduled through Calendar appear on Meet.
If you don’t have a data network, you can call in to the meeting from a phone:
You can dial in during the scheduled meeting time in one of the following ways:
- Enter the phone number that’s in the Calendar event or meeting invitation.
Then, enter the PIN and #. - From the Meet or Calendar app, tap the phone number.
The PIN is automatically entered.
For details, visit Join a video meeting .
- Open Meet .
- From a video meeting, at the bottom, click People.
- Click Add people.
- To invite people to join the meeting:
- Click Invite.
- Enter the name or email of the guests.
- Click Send email.
Guests get an email with the meeting link to join the meeting.
- (Optional) To call people directly in to the video meeting:
- Click Call.
- Enter a phone number.
- Click Call.
The guest is dialed directly in to the ongoing meeting as an audio participant.
- Open Meet .
- From a video meeting, at the bottom, click Chat.
- Enter a message and click Send.
Note:
In-meeting chats only last for the duration of the meeting. For persistent chat, in your web browser, go to
chat.google.com
.
For details, visit Send chat messages to video meeting participants .
- Open Meet and join a video meeting .
- On the bottom, click Present now and choose what to share:
- Your entire screen
- A window
- A tab
- Click Share.
- When you’re done presenting, click Stop presenting.
For details, visit Present during a video meeting .
- Open Meet .
- From a video meeting, at the bottom, click Activities Recording Start recording.
- Open Meet .
- From a video meeting, at the bottom, click Activities Q&A.
- Next to Allow questions, click Turn on.
For details, visit Ask questions in a video meeting .
- In a meeting, at the bottom right, click Activities click Polls.
- Click Start a poll.
- Enter a question and add options for the poll.
- Tip:You can let users respond anonymously to Polls. Before you save or launch your poll, turn on Responses appear without names .
- Choose one:
- To post your poll, click Launch.
- To save your poll so you can launch it later, click Save.
Tip:Polls you save remain listed under Pollsfor the duration of the meeting. After the call ends, all polls are permanently deleted. Meeting moderators are emailed a polling report at the end of the meeting.
- After a poll is launched, to vote on your own poll, select one of the optionsclick Vote.
For details, visit Conduct a poll during a video meeting .
- Start or Join a meeting.
- At the bottom right, click Activities Whiteboarding.
- Select an option:
- To create a new Jamboard: Click Start a new whiteboard.
- To open an existing Jamboard from your drive, shared drives, or computer: Click Choose from Drive.
Tip:The Jamboard file will open in a new tab and a link is shared automatically via the in-call chat.
For details, visit Use a whiteboard in a video meeting .
- Open Meet .
- From a video meeting, at the bottom, click Raise hand or Lower hand.
For details, visit Raise your hand during a video meeting .
- Open Meet .
- From a video meeting, at the bottom, click Activities Breakout rooms.
- Click Set up breakout rooms.
- Choose the number of breakout rooms. You can create up to 100.
- (Optional) To move people into different rooms, drag a participant's name to another room.
- Click Open rooms.
You can also create breakout rooms from a Calendar event. For details, visit Use breakout rooms in a video meeting .
- Open Meet .
- Depending on when you want to change your background, choose an option:
- To change your background before you join a meeting, on the bottom right of your meeting image, click Change background.
- To change your background after you join a meeting, at the bottom, click More Change background.
- Choose a background option.
* Note: The instructions in this guide are primarily web only. Get switching information for mobile devices .
Related topics
To set up Meet, or get troubleshooting help, try these guides instead:
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