[September 14, 2021]: There has been a delay in rollout for Google Workspace Education Fundamentals customers. We anticipate rollout to be complete within the next three weeks — we will provide an update here once that is complete.
[August 30, 2021]:
We’d like to provide some additional clarification on how this update impacts meeting records:
- When Host Management is turned on, only the main host and any designated co-host can start a meeting recording if given the permission by Admin.
- When Host Management is turned off, only users with permission by Admin to record a meeting can start a recording.
For Workspace for Education users, we strongly recommend turning Host Management on to ensure your meetings run smoothly with minimal disruption. For instance, if you turn Host Management off, your students will be able to remove each other from the meeting.
What’s changing
We’re expanding meeting moderation controls in Google Meet with several highly requested features. You’ll now be able to:
- Assign up to 25 co-hosts per meeting, allowing them to access and utilize the host controls.
- Use safety features to limit who can share their screen, send chat messages, mute all users and end meetings
- Use the “Quick access” setting to easily control who needs to request permission to join a meeting.
Previously, these safety features were only available to Google Workspace for Education customers. These controls will now be available for all Google Meet users on the desktop and mobile. See below for more information and availability.
Who’s impacted
Admins and end users
Why it’s important
We hope these expanded controls make it easier for you to keep meetings productive, safe, and help prevent potential disruptions. Additionally, delegated co-hosts can handle responsibilities such as—muting participants, launching polls, managing Q&As—giving you more time to focus on leading discussions and guiding attendees through presentations.
Additional details
New controls for meeting hosts, which can be extended to co-hosts
In the Google Meet settings, select “Host controls” and ensure the “Host management” option is toggled ON. When enabled, hosts can now:
- Limit who can share their screen,
- Limit who can send chat messages,
- Mute all with one click,
- End the meeting for all,
- Control who can join the meeting and how they can join with the “Quick access” setting. Note: This feature is only available to specific Workspace editions — see below for more information.
For applicable Workspace editions (see more below), Meeting hosts can share hosting privileges with other meeting participants—up to 25 per meeting—by granting them host controls in the People panel.
Quick access Control
We’ve expanded the “quick access” control for Meet to most Google Workspace Customers (see below for full availability). The quick access control will be ON by default. When quick access is enabled, meeting participants from your domain can automatically join the meeting from a mobile or desktop device, and by dialing in.
When quick access is disabled:
- The host must join the meeting first.
- Only invited participants can join without asking — all other attendees and those dialing in must ask to join the meeting.
- No anonymous users can join the meeting.
- Only the host can dial out of the meeting.
Visit the Help Center to learn more about controlling access to a video meeting using the quick access control.
In the coming weeks, we will introduce a new setting in the admin console that will control Host Management. We will provide an update here on the Workspace Updates Blog when that setting becomes available.
Updates to the “People” panel
Additionally, we’ve added the ability to search for a meeting participant. This will allow you to quickly navigate to a specific user to mute them, remove them from the call, or assign host privileges. The updated people panel will be available on web and mobile.
If you have assigned co-hosts in your meeting, they will be indicated as such with a security shield icon.
Getting started
- Admins: In the coming weeks, we will introduce a setting that controls whether the Host Management settings will be on or off by default. We’ll provide an update on the Workspace Updates Blog once that becomes available.
- End users: Visit the Help Center to learn more about adding co-hosts in Google Meet and adding or removing people from a Google Meet video call.
Rollout pace
Web, Android, and iOS
- Rapid and Scheduled Release domains: Gradual rollout (up to 15 days for feature visibility) starting on August 16, 2021
Use this post in our community forum for more information on rollout progression and additional FAQs.
Availability
Moderation and Safety Controls
- Available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Plus, Education Standard, the Teaching and learning Upgrade, Frontline, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers
- Also available to users with personal Google Accounts
Quick access settings:
- Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers
- Not available to Google Workspace Individual customers or users with personal Google Accounts
Ability to add co-hosts
- Available to Google Workspace Essentials, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Business Standard, Business Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, and Teaching and Learning Upgrade customers
- Not available to Google Workspace Business Starter, Frontline, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers
Resources
Roadmap
- This feature was listed as an upcoming release.