Additionally, Google Meet now also allows you to customize your video feed with various light and color filters. You get several more stylized static backgrounds as well, in case animated backgrounds aren’t your type of thing. Google says the new backgrounds and styles are now rolling out on the web version of Google Meet. The company doesn’t tell when they will arrive on mobile apps. It took Google several months to bring the first batch of video backgrounds on Meet to the Android app. Hopefully, the latest additions will reach Google Meet users on Android and iOS users sooner than later. Nonetheless, the rollout on the web began on November 17 for users on Rapid Release domains. Users on Scheduled Release domains will start seeing them on December 2. As the company notes, it could take up to 15 days for the new additions to be visible to everyone. These immersive backgrounds and styles are available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers. However, they need to be enabled by your admin before you can use them. Admins can enable them by navigating to Admin console > Apps > Google Workspace > Settings for Google Meet > Meet video setting. If enabled, you can use them before joining a call as well as during a call via the new effects settings panel that Google Meet gained in September. Note that users with personal Google Accounts will not receive these animated backgrounds in Google Meet, at least not just yet.
Google Meet now allows up to 500 people in a meeting
Another new addition to Google Meet this week is the ability to add up to an insane 500 people in a meeting. This feature is only available to Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, and Education Plus customers. The company says this should make it easier to “connect and collaborate with your colleagues, clients, and customers.” Microsoft Teams supports interactive webinars for up to 1,000 participants. Zoom also lets you host meetings with up to 500 participants. A Large Meetings add-on for Zoom lets you increase participants up to 1,000.
