Tips to set up business meetings

Some Google Meet features discussed here, such as adding co-hosts and live streaming, require specific Google Workspace editions. Learn more about ​​​​​Google Meet feature availability.

On this page

• Choose how to create your meeting
• Understand Meet security controls
• Templates for setting up meetings with internal and external guests
• Collaborate in Companion mode
• Mobile options 

---

Choose how to create your video meeting

You can create a meeting from Google Calendar, the Meet landing page (meet.google.com), mobile apps, a chat window, meeting room hardware devices, and other meeting entry points. Here are guidelines to help you choose.

Schedule in Calendar to…

• Place the event on your guests’ calendars from where they can easily join the meeting
• Assume host privileges
• Set up security controls and add co-hosts before the meeting (in Calendar settings)  
• Let external guests join without having to knock (they must be signed in to a Google Account)

Start an instant meeting to...

• Enter the meeting now and get a meeting URL and phone dial-in number to send to others
• Assume host privileges

You can set up security controls and add co-hosts after the meeting.

From meet.google.com, click New meetingStart an instant meeting.

Use a nickname

Not recommended if it matters who owns or hosts the meeting

Make up any name for your meeting, such as quick-sync, and share it with others. Anyone in your organization can go to a meeting entry point like meet.google.com, enter that name, and join the same meeting.

Note that external guests can’t join the meeting with the nickname. The host must instead send them a link with the meeting code, or a dial-in number and PIN.

Warning: With a nickname meeting, the first person to enter the nickname and go to the meeting entry page (green room) becomes the host and can set up host controls. They also own any meeting artifacts such as recordings, transcriptions, and attendance reports.

Find the security controls

As the meeting organizer or a host, you can set Quick access and Host management controls as follows:

• Creating or editing a Calendar event—Click Video call options .
• In a meeting—At the bottom right, click Host controls .

Note: Security settings you make for a recurring meeting stay the same for subsequent meetings. 

Quick access settings

Your Google admin sets the default Quick access setting for your organization.

When Quick access is on, anyone in your organization can join the meeting automatically and start it without you. If you turn Quick access off, uninvited users must knock to join, and no one can join before you or another host. They instead stay in a “waiting room” and are admitted after you join.

Joining the meeting

• Automatic—The participant joins the meeting automatically from the meeting entry page
• Knock—The participant must knock to join and be accepted by someone in the meeting

Participant	Quick access On		Off
Internal guest on Calendar invite	Automatic		Automatic
External guest on invite (signed in to a Google Account)	Automatic		Automatic
User invited during the meeting (by the host)	Automatic		Automatic
User invited during the meeting (not by the host)	Automatic		Knock
User dialing in by phone	Automatic		Knock
Internal user not on invite	Automatic		Knock
External user not on invite	Knock		Knock
Not signed in to a Google Account	Knock		Knock

More access privileges

Privileges	Quick access On		Off
Start the meeting (join first)	Any participant		(Co)-host only
Dial out to invite a phone user	Any participant		(Co)-host only

Learn more about Quick access.

Host management settings

Your Google admin sets the default Host management setting for your organization.

As the meeting organizer or host, you can turn on Host management to moderate the meeting and control participation. You can also make other participants co-hosts to share moderation privileges. Note that turning on Host management removes certain privileges from other participants. See the table for details.

	Host management On	Off
Who can...	Only (co)-hosts	Any internal participant
Eject or mute a participant	✔	✔
Accept knocks to join the meeting	✔	✔
Dial out to a phone caller to join	✔	✔
Start a recording or live stream	✔	✔
Add / remove other co-hosts*	✔	NA
Apply locks so only hosts can: Send chat messages in the meeting Share their screen  Turn on microphone Turn on video	✔	NA
Mute everyone with one click	✔	NA
End the meeting for all participants (instead of just leaving)	✔	NA

* A co-host can't remove the original host. Learn more about adding co-hosts.

Meetings with internal users

Here are some common scenarios for meeting with people inside your Google Workspace organization.

Open the meeting to anyone in your organization

Create:	Schedule in Calendar or start an instant meeting Optionally invite guests
Settings:	Quick access: On Host management: On
Result:	Any internal user can join automatically People can join before you You have host management controls

Restrict the meeting to guests you invite or accept

Create:	Schedule in Calendar Place trusted guests on the Calendar invite
Settings:	Quick access: Off Host management: On Co-hosts: None
Result:	No one can join before you Guests on the Calendar invite join automatically Uninvited users must knock to be accepted Only you can accept the knock

Organize a meeting someone else moderates (you won’t be there)

Create:	Schedule in Calendar Place trusted guests on the Calendar invite
Settings:	Quick access: Off Host management: On Co-hosts: Add at least one guest as co-host while setting up the meeting in Google Calendar
Result:	No one can join before your co-host Guests on the invite join automatically Any uninvited user has to knock to be accepted Only your co-host can accept the knock

 
Delegated users:  If you manage someone else’s calendar as a delegated user and schedule a meeting on that person’s primary calendar, they are the meeting host. In that case you don’t have to make them a co-host.

Moderate a large meeting with a panel of presenters

During the meeting, limit screen sharing to your presenters. Manage unwanted background noise with the Mute all option.

Create:	Schedule in Calendar Place guests on the invite, including the presenters
Settings:	Quick access: Off Host management: On Co-hosts: Add your presenters as co-hosts Host controls: Turn off everyone’s ability to share their screen
Result:	During the presentations: Guests on the invite join automatically You or any co-host can accept knocks from uninvited users Only you and co-hosts can share your screen  Tip: If there’s distracting background noise from any guest, use the Mute all option to quickly mute everyone in the meeting. Participants who need to speak can then unmute themselves. At the bottom right, click People   Mute all .

Live stream a discussion panel

To view a live stream, a viewer must be in either your organization or a trusted domain added by your Google admin.

Create:	Schedule a meeting in Calendar and add the option to live stream. Add guests to the invite who will present or participate in the live stream. Choose the option to create a duplicate, view-only event, and invite groups or individuals who should view the live stream. Distribute the live-stream link to any other guests who should attend. For specific steps: Set up a live stream
Settings:	For the event with participants: Quick access: Off Host management: On Co-hosts: Optional
Result:	Only guests on the participant invite can be seen or heard, or can present their screen No one can join the meeting before you or any co-hosts you add Only invited participants can join automatically  Only you or a co-host can start the live stream Invited viewers see the event on their calendar and can join via the live stream link. They are view-only throughout the event. They can’t switch to the live event or be included in any discussion afterwards.

Include external users in your meeting

You can have people outside your Google Workspace organization join meetings, too, even if they can't sign in to a Google Account. Here are some options:

Let external users join automatically

They must be signed in to a Google Account.

Create:	Schedule in Calendar or start an instant meeting Place on the Calendar invite, trusted external guests who have a Google Account
Settings:	Quick access: On Host management: Off
Result:	External guests who are signed in to their Google Account can join the meeting automatically They can join before you

Invite external users but require that they knock to join

Create:	Schedule in Calendar Place external guests on the Calendar invite
Settings:	Quick access: Off Host management: Off
Result:	Internal guests on the invite can join automatically External guests must knock to join Any internal participant can accept the knock

Allow signed-out users to join

If your guest can’t currently sign in to a Google Account, you can still have a video meeting with them.

Create:	Schedule in Calendar or start an instant meeting Send your guest the link and meeting code for the meeting (available in the Calendar invite or from the instant meeting)
Settings:	Quick access: On or off Host management: On or off
Result:	Anyone who's not signed in to a Google Account must knock to join the meeting. They join using a name they enter when they knock. If Host management is off, any internal participant can accept the knock. Otherwise only you or a co-host can accept the knock.

Add as co-host: Even if a participant isn’t signed in to a Google Account, you can still make them a co-host. After they join the meeting, add them as a co-host in the People panel. A co-host who isn’t signed in has all privileges of other co-hosts except they can’t send email invitations to additional guests.

Present & participate in Companion mode

Not available from mobile devices.

Sometimes you might want to join a meeting on a second screen.  The best way to do this is using Companion mode.

In Companion mode:

• Your microphone is always off to reduce the risk of audio feedback from the second screen
• You don’t see the participant grid, making it easier to see presentations
• You can click Present now to share your screen
• Your participant tile doesn’t show to other participants unless you turn on your camera or raise your hand

When to use Companion mode

If you're in a room that has Meet audio and video, you can join in Companion mode from your laptop. Do this to: 

• Present your screen without risking audio feedback
• Raise your hand: Your participant tile appears in the participant grid so others in the meeting know you have something to say
• Use the meeting chat, or participate in polls or Q&A activities 
• Turn host controls on or off

Join a meeting in Companion mode

Go to the meeting from a Calendar event or using the meeting link. From the meeting entry page (green room), do one of the following:

• Click Use Companion mode
• Click Present to join in Companion mode while also sharing your screen 

Learn more about Companion mode.

Join and participate from your mobile device

Participate from your phone’s mobile app 

Companion mode isn’t available on mobile devices.

You can join and participate in a video meeting from your phone’s mobile Meet or Gmail app. You then use your phone’s audio and video, and you have the same access and participation rights as if you joined from your computer.

Use a phone for audio & your computer for video 

If you have a poor network connection, try to improve performance by using your phone for audio instead of your computer. You still use your computer for video.

On your computer, do one of the following:

• In the meeting—Click MoreUse a phone for audio
• On the meeting entry page—Click Join and use a phone for audio. 

Follow instructions to enter your number and be called. You keep participating with video from your computer, but you speak and listen through your phone.

Learn more: Use a phone for audio in a meeting

Dial in with audio only

If you can’t join with video, such as when driving, dial in with a phone number. 

• Dial in from your phone—Use the meeting’s phone number and PIN. This information is on the Calendar invite and also available to people in the meeting.
• Have someone in the meeting dial out—A participant with dial-out privileges can call you from the meeting. From the People panel, they click Add peopleCall.

Note: If Quick access is off, you must knock and be accepted, even if you’re on the Calendar invite.

Learn more: Use a phone to dial in to a meeting

_{Google, Google Workspace, and related marks and logos are trademarks of Google LLC. All other company and product names are trademarks of the companies with which they are associated.}