Transition from legacy calls to the new Meet call experience

Important:

• Legacy calls are being upgraded to Meet calls, which contain expanded features like live captions, in-call chat, stackable effects, cloud encryption, screen sharing, and more.
• As users move to Meet calling, some legacy calling features are upgraded. However, some features like Family mode, Moments, and Knock Knock will no longer be available.
• The legacy messages feature is no longer available.

To use the new calling experience, update your Meet app to the latest version. When all parties in the call are using the latest version of Meet with the update, they’ll see an in-app prompt explaining that they are now using the new calling experience. Otherwise, the call will default to the legacy calling experience. Once all users are using the updated Meet app, legacy calling will no longer be accessible.

The new Meet calling experience

Quick links

• Comparison at a glance
• FAQs: Transition from legacy calls to the new Meet call experience
• Troubleshoot if your device doesn’t ring

Comparison at a glance

• In-call features
• Pre-call screen features
• Encryption differences
• Group calls
• Messages
• Find settings
• Contacts
• Call history
• Check who's calling with Knock Knock
• Admin controls for Workspace users

In-call features

Legacy calls

Meet calls: The new experience

Family Mode, Moments, and Knock Knock are only available in legacy calls. Available in legacy calls for all users: Family mode Moments Mirror mode Low light mode Data saving mode Tip: These legacy calling features will no longer be available in the new Meet calling experience but many will have alternatives.

You can use in-call chat, live captions, screen sharing, and other Enterprise-compliant Meet features. Features available in the new Meet call experience: In-call chat messages For Workspace users, access to this feature is controlled by your admin. Learn how to manage Meet settings. Live captions Screen sharing Stackable effects Add ons Improved tablet and foldable tablet layouts Raise your hand Premium Meet features that depend on your Workspace edition or Google One subscription Learn about Premium Meet features. Alternatives to legacy features: Take a device screenshot, instead of Moments. Low light mode is replaced with video lighting adjustment and portrait touch-up for some users. Data saving mode is replaced with Meet saver mode. These legacy features aren’t available in the new Meet calling experience: Family mode Mirror mode Knock Knock

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Pre-call screen features

Legacy calls

Meet calls: The new experience

When you tap a contact, it defaults to a legacy call unless everyone is using the latest version of Meet and has received the update. Existing Group calls will continue to be legacy. Available in legacy pre-calls for all users: Send message Send note Send emoji Tip: The update hasn’t rolled out to you yet if: The pre-call screen doesn’t show “This will start a legacy call. What’s this?” but the rest of the screen displays like the image above.

When you tap a contact or start a new group call, the pre-call screen defaults to the new Meet calling experience if everyone is using the latest version of Meet and has received the update. Available in Meet pre-calls between personal accounts: Ability to add Additional Encryption Send message Send note Tap a contact. At the top right, tap Menu Send note. Unavailable legacy feature: Send emoji from the pre-call screen: This feature is available during the call.

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Encryption differences

Legacy calls

Meet calls: The new experience

Legacy calls are always end-to-end encrypted, which is a security method that protects communications data. End-to-end encryption is used to mask data with a code that only you and the other callers have access to. You’ll find these end-to-end encrypted symbols in legacy calls: A shield with a lock inside . If you tap this icon, it shows “End-to-end encrypted.” During a legacy call: A shield with a lock inside, with the words “End-to-end encrypted,” which fades when you switch to full screen. Learn about call and meeting encryption.

By default, Meet Calls are cloud encrypted to enable expanded cloud encrypted features such as in-call messages, reactions, add-ons, polls, Q&A, and more. Your information is encrypted in transit and at rest in Google's data centers. Users with personal accounts: To add end-to-end encryption, in the pre-call screen, turn on Additional encryption. The feature is only available for calls made between users with personal accounts. If you toggle this on and try to make a call to a Business or EDU account, you get the error “This person’s organization doesn’t let them receive end-to-end encrypted calls.” Additional encryption will gray out the cloud encrypted features that aren't supported such as: In-call messages Reactions Activities like polls and Q&A Ability to report abuse Users with Business or EDU accounts: The “Additional encryption” toggle isn’t available and calls are always cloud encrypted. These symbols indicate the encryption type: Cloud encryption: When you tap Empty shield , it says “This call is cloud encrypted.” Additional encryption: When you tap a shield with a lock inside , it says "This call is using additional encryption." If you're in a call, it’s a blue lock badge . Learn about call and meeting encryption.

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Group calls

Legacy calls

Meet calls: The new experience

You can continue to make legacy group calls with existing groups. New group calls are Meet group calls.

On your device, open the Meet app . Tap New Group call. In the search bar, you can select up to 31 contacts to include in your group call. If you tap on a contact who can’t receive Meet calls, you get the message "[Contact name] can only join via a link. Share a Meet link with them once the call is started." Tap Next and either: Tap Call . The call rings for users who can receive Meet calls. Once inside the call, for any contacts you added to the group that can't receive a Meet call, you have the option to tap Share link. They can join through the Meet link you shared. Tap Create and share a link. This option shows if all of the contacts you added to the Group aren’t eligible to receive a Meet call ring. You can share a Meet link for them to join instead. Copy the link or tap Share. Tap Join. Wait for others to join the call through the link you shared. Tips: Group calls are saved in history as a list of contacts who were in the call. Contacts who joined through a shared link aren’t listed. You can’t name these groups. You can’t add or remove users from the saved item in history, but you can start a new group call with the desired users. You can continue to make legacy group calls with existing groups, but new group calls are Meet group calls.

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Messages

Legacy calls	Meet calls: The new experience
In-call: In-call messaging isn't available in legacy calls. The Legacy (Duo) messages feature is no longer available.	In-call: To send in-call chat messages, at the bottom right, inside a call, tap More In call messages . Tip: For Business or EDU Workspace users, access to this feature is controlled by your admin, learn how to manage Meet settings.

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Find settings

Legacy calls	Meet calls: The new experience
You can no longer access legacy calling settings from the app menu.	To find Meet settings, tap Menu Settings.

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Contacts

Legacy calls

Meet calls: The new experience

Only your local device contacts are used for legacy calling. To let Meet access your local device contacts, you must give Operating System (OS) permission.

Contacts available for Meet calls are sourced from 2 locations: Your local device contacts: You need to allow OS level contact permissions when you sign up. Learn how to find and invite contacts. For users with personal accounts: When you onboard, you can save local contact info from your signed in devices. This data is used to make these contacts easier to interact with across Google services, regardless of which device you use. To turn this off, go to https://myactivity.google.com/devicecontacts. Google Contacts: Contacts you created. Other contacts: These records are automatically created when you interact with someone new in Google services. They show in “Search” and under “Suggested.” Learn more about who shows up as suggestions. Frequently contacted: These are the people you interact with the most in Google services. Corporate Directory: This is only available to business users. Users with personal accounts can toggle on “Only contacts can call me:” Tap Menu Settings General. Turn on Only contacts can call me. Tip: This includes contacts listed under “Other contacts.” Business or EDU: Admins can restrict who can make Meet calls to their users. By default, users can only receive Meet calls from contacts and other users in their organization. To let your users initiate or receive 1:1 video calls from outside your domain, admins can use the admin control. Tip: The admin control only affects Google Meet calling, not: Legacy calling services Calls in Google Chat Ability to join meetings

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Call history

Legacy calls	Meet calls: The new experience
Call history for legacy calls will only be saved on the device the call was made on and can't be exported.	Meet call history is centrally saved on Google servers and synced across all devices logged into that account. You can find, delete, and export all Meet calls regardless of the device used. To review, delete, or export Meet call history: Tap Menu Settings History. Learn how to manage your Google Meet history.

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Check who’s calling with Knock Knock

Legacy calls	Meet calls: The new experience
Knock Knock is only available when you make legacy calls. When you make a legacy call, they get a live preview video of you while their device rings, if they have you as a contact. You don't get their live preview video until they answer.	This legacy feature isn’t available on Meet calls.

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Admin controls for Workspace users

Legacy calls

Meet calls: The new experience

For Business and EDU users: Your admin controls legacy calling functionality through the legacy services switch. Learn how to manage legacy calling features for your users. Access to call functionality isn’t available to EDU users under age 18.

In addition to Meet access controls, admins can also restrict who can make Meet calls to their users. You can set call restrictions for users in your organization, so that they can’t receive calls. You can choose from these options: By default, users can only receive Meet calls from contacts and other users in their organization. Users can receive calls from anyone. Users can’t receive calls. Learn about call restrictions. If you want to restrict users in your organization from placing calls, the following options are available: Turn off Meet's call creation ability to prevent your users from placing calls and starting meetings, but they can continue to receive calls or join meetings created by others. Mobile Device Management (MDM) to turn off calling with Google Meet for devices deployed to your organization. Tips: The call restrictions only affect Meet calling, not: Legacy calling services Calls in Google Chat The ability to join meetings Restrictions set in access can further limit the calls that users receive.

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Related resources

• FAQs: Transition from legacy calls to the new Meet call experience
• Troubleshoot if your device doesn’t ring
• Learn about call & meeting encryption in Google Meet