Want to look good before that Google Meet conference? Try the new preview feature
Horrible sound, black video screens and awkward moments at the beginning of video calls could be a thing of the past on Google Meet. Google is finally rolling out a meaningful preview feature that lets you find out how your video feed will be received by the other party.
Since the beginning of the Corona crisis, developers of video chat apps have been working hard to deliver new features. While blurry backgrounds or creative backgrounds have long been standard, Google Meet now delivers a truly meaningful preview feature for the first time. The app now adds a new button labelled "Check Audio and Video" which will let you go through the settings for video and audio before each call.
By clicking "Next", you can then record a short video of you looking into the camera and saying a few sentences. Afterwards, you can position your microphone better, switch on a light or carry your notebook closer to the WLAN router. To help you with troubleshooting, Google also offers a series of checkpoints that you can go through to improve call quality.
Yes, we know Google Meet offered a preview window
Before Google introduced this rather simple, yet somehow essential feature, you always had to do your tech check on Google Meet in the preview window. In doing so, three dots responding to your audio input were the only way to check the quality of your audio. In comparison, this new implementation is much better and useful.
If you don't use Google Meet and your favourite video chat app lacks a preview feature, you can also do a quick sound and video check using the camera app on your phone or the pre-installed camera apps in Windows 10 or macOS.
Have you already tried out the new feature in Google News? And what are your tips for ensuring quality before an important video chat?
