Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Control background replacement in Google Meet with a new Admin setting

Update:
February 1, 2021: We’ve updated this blog to better explain how this setting impacts meeting organizers and participants.

What’s changing

We’re adding the ability for admins to enable or disable the use of custom or preset backgrounds in Google Meet for meetings organized by an organizational unit (OU) level.

Important Note: the meeting organizer’s setting will determine whether or not meeting participants can change their background or use custom background images.

For example: if this feature is OFF for students, but ON for teachers, students will be able to use custom or preset backgrounds when joining a meeting organized by their teacher.

For Education and Enterprise for Education customers, the “let users select custom images” option will be disabled by default. We recommend admins leave this option disabled, as well as turning off the use of preset backgrounds, to help prevent students from changing their background to distracting or inappropriate images.

Getting started 

  • Admins: This feature will be ON by default and can be disabled at the OU or group level. Note: the “Let users select custom images” option will be disabled by default for Education and Enterprise for Education domains. Visit the Help Center to learn more about controlling whether users can change their backgrounds in Meet. 
In the Google Meet section of the Admin console, within the Meet video settings, you can control whether users can change their backgrounds in Meet.

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • Available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus, as well as G Suite Basic, Business, Education, Enterprise for Education, and Nonprofits customers 

Resources