Summary
- Google is making changes to the Meet app on Android and iOS to streamline the user interface.
- The emoji reaction button will replace the hand raise button, which is moving to the overflow menu.
- The overflow menu has been redesigned, the End call button has been moved on iPhones, and host controls have been moved to the settings.
Ever since Google folded Duo into Meet in 2022 — which actually took until a few months ago to completely finalize — the company’s flagship video calling product has been of two minds. On the one hand, it needs to compete with the likes of Zoom for enterprise customers and their workplace meetings, but on the other, it’s essentially the FaceTime of Android, serving as the primary way for many mobile users to video chat.
On the enterprise side, the desktop version of Google Meet has seen several updates recently that boost productivity, like meeting notes and automatic transcriptions, or an enhanced screen reader for better accessibility. Now, Google is turning its attention to the mobile app, making it easier to access features people commonly use in a more casual setting.
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Everybody deserves a good meeting
In a new support page published today, Google has outlined some changes coming to the main call UI in the Meet app for Android and iOS. The most noticeable one is that the button for raising your hand (useful in a large meeting, but less so in a chat with your friends) is now being replaced with the emoji reaction button. Meanwhile, hand raising moves to the overflow button, now one extra tap away.
Emoji reactions in the old UI (left) compared to the new one (right)
We’re not seeing these changes on any of our devices yet, even though we’re on the latest Google Meet version available (293.0.727635663). However, Google does say you’ll either need Meet version 291.0.722438190 or Gmail version 2025.02.02.722438226 at a minimum to access the feature. So it appears this will be a server-side change, with Google flipping the switch on an account-by-account basis over the coming weeks.
Today’s changes aren’t just about everyday Android users
In addition to making emoji reactions easier to access, Google is also tweaking the experience for enterprise users on the Meet app. Controls for hosted meetings used to be available directly in the overflow menu, but now you’ll have to go to Menu → Settings → Host controls to enable or disable these.
The overflow menu itself has also been redesigned, featuring bubbly Material You buttons and toggles instead of a grid of icons and labels. Meanwhile, the End call button on iPhones has been moved from the left side of the screen to the right in order to make things consistent with the Android experience.
Old (left) versus new (right) overflow menu
These changes come after Google overhauled the main call screen late last year, making the video feed full-screen on mobile — much like the old Google Duo UI. As this new dual-purpose iteration of Meet continues to evolve, it’s clear that Google thinks it can have its enterprise cake and eat it, too.