Google Meet became free for all users in May, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when video conferencing became the new normal. A month later, the company laid out a clear roadmap to add new features to compete with Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Now, Google has started rolling out a feature that should have been released months ago. Google Meet users now have the option to blur their backgrounds during a video call, which means they don't have to worry about a messy room. Of course, it would have made more sense for the company to roll out this basic update before deciding to roll out Google Meet and Duo to TV screens via Chromecast.
Under construction since June
As promised in a previous blog post, Google has now implemented the much-needed background blur feature in Google Meet. In August, Google said it would add new features to Google Meet that would allow users to minimize background distractions. Along with the ability to blur backgrounds during a video conference, Google Meet will also filter out background noise so meetings are less distracting. The feature would be available to all G Suite customers and users with personal Google accounts, the company said. Google had detailed some of the new features of Google Meet, specifically aimed at students. These included the ability to blur or replace backgrounds and adding the raise of hand feature that would have participants grab the attention of the presenter or moderator at any point in the video conference.It's only portrait mode in videos
The company claims that Google Meet will now intelligently separate the user sitting in front of the camera from the background by blurring the surroundings while keeping the subject sharp and clear. The process is similar to how smartphones work in portrait mode. In this way, users can stop worrying about messy backgrounds and green screens. The new functionality would be available directly in the browser without the need for extensions or additional software. It would work in Chrome browsers with Windows and Mac. The company has indicated that support for Chrome OS and Meet mobile apps will roll out soon, though it hasn't given a specific timeline for this. Background blur would be off by default and users would have to manually turn it on. Meanwhile, the company also announced a new screen sharing option on Google Duo that allows video call users to search for photos, videos, and more.Here's how to blur the background
- During a meeting, you can do the following:
- At the bottom right, click More Personalize and control Google Chrome
- Click Enable Background Blur
- If you want to mix it up before the meeting:
- Go to meet.google.com and select the meeting.
- At the bottom right of your personal image, click Enable Background Blur
- To see how it looks when your background is out of focus, check your image
- Blurring the background can slow down your device