Google Meet is rolling out a new feature that will let you pause video streams for individual tiles to better focus on frequent speakers or presenters.
To disable individual sources, you can tap on the three-dot menu next to the person’s name in the web sidebar and click “Don’t watch.” On mobile, there is a new “Audio Only” mode, which disables all streams except the presenter stream. Hopefully, Google will roll this feature out to desktops as well.
The “Audio Only” mode is certainly useful for saving data if you’re on the go.
Google said Meet won’t notify others when you turn off your video streams. Also, your meeting experience will remain unchanged.
The company said that it has already started rolling out the feature and that it will be available to the entire base in a few weeks. Fortunately, admins can’t disable the feature for individuals, so it will be available to users at all times.
Earlier this year, Google introduced support for emoji reactions on Meet calls. In February, the company brought 360 degree virtual backgrounds for Meet on mobile.