Google’s new update to its Meet video-conferencing software will make the picture-in-picture feature more useful. It allows you to continue working (or slack-off) on other windows without losing control of Meet. According to Google’s announcement the features will only be available to those using Google Meet through its Chrome browser. They will roll out over the next two weeks.
You can now raise your hand to participate in text chats, turn on captions, or even switch them off, all from the Picture-in-Picture view. This is a desktop window that sits above other windows. The window can be resized more easily, and the layout is more flexible. Google shows in a GIF how it could be used to draft an email and continue to chat with colleagues. But, I won’t judge you if this is what you use to browse Instagram or YouTube while on mute.
It’s an improvement, either way, over the current picture-in-picture feature of Google Meet. This mode only allows you to leave a meeting or switch your microphone and camera off and on. Window resizing is also limited. It only supports a fixed aspect-ratio. The picture-in-picture option is still available from the three-dot menu in a meeting.
