Using a USB headset for Google Meet calls is finally getting simpler
Google Meet adds new USB functionality at last
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Hooking up a USB accessory such as a headset or microphone for aGoogle Meetcall is set to get a lot easier at last thanks to a new update to the service.
Thevideo conferencingplatform has revealed changes that will allow users to have much greater functionality whilst using such devices.
Going forward, users will be able to toggle between mute and unmute usingheadsets, speaker microphones, and other USB peripheral devices.
Google Meet USB functionality
Users can also employ LED color changes on a USB device to determine whether they are or aren’t muted, hopefully removing any chance of accidental hot-mic utterances.
The feature is only available in Chrome or Chromium basedbrowsers, so along withGoogle’s own browser, the likes ofMicrosoftEdge, Brave, Vivaldi and Opera will also be supported.
Sadly Bluetooth devices aren’t supported just yet, and Google does note that user experience “may differ from device to device”. The company did provide a list of Meet-certified headers and speaker microphones, with products from Poly, Jabra,Ankerand Bose among theextensive list.
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“Video conferencing has become a cornerstone of the hybrid work experience, with Google Meet boosting communication and collaboration for teams of all sizes,” the company noted in ablog postannouncing the update. “This also means people consider the use of peripheral devices—from headsets, speakermics, mute buttons, and more—essential to their video meeting experience.”
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Google added that this upgrade is only the first in what it hopes is a series of new changes to Meet, saying that it plans to expand the functionality to muting video, ending a meeting, and more in the future.
Rolling out now, the change is available to allGoogle Workspacecustomers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers.
The update should bring Google Meet slightly closer to its great rival Microsoft Teams as the battle for video call supremacy continues.
Microsoft recently revealed users can now use aBluetooth headsetor speakerphoneto answer or end a Teams call, as well as answering, ending, or putting the call on hold among the initial rollout - all without needing a USB dongle.
Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK’s leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he’s not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.
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