How to Change the Host in a Google Meeting

Google Meet hosts must be present in meetings as they control essential functionality. You may have created a meeting for someone and you are not hosting it. If so, it may make sense to transfer ownership to the responsible person. But how exactly?

This article will attempt to answer your questions about the process. We will go through detailed steps on how to change Google Meet host on PC, Android device and iPhone. As a bonus, you'll also learn how to change teacher settings in Google Classroom.

How to Change Google Meet Host on PC

Google Meet allows teachers to regulate the use of features during an event. Meeting owners have more control over when attendees can join meetings, can block screen sharing or chats, and more. All host controls are located under the shield icon with a padlock. Meeting owners can enable or disable various features throughout the meeting.

You may be creating a meeting for a group of people, but you won't be in charge of the event itself. In this case, it's best to assign ownership to someone who will attend or lead the meeting, so they can change the settings if needed.

Note that only someone with an existing Google Account can be a Google Meet host. Also, changing the meeting owner can only be done if the meeting is scheduled in Google Calendar.

Here's how to make someone else the owner of a meetup:

1. Open Google Calendar and click on the event name in the grid.
   
2. Tap the three horizontal dots (More) and scroll down the drop-down menu.
   
3. Click on “Change owner”.
   
4. Enter the details of a person you wish to host. You need to type in their name and email.
   
5. Tap their name in the participant list to select them.
   
6. Select “Change owner”.
   

Note that they must accept the transfer by clicking a link in their email. You will be the host until they do.

How to Change Host in Google Meet on iPhone App

If you're hosting a Google Meet meeting on your iPhone, you can switch hosts by following the steps below:

1. Launch the Google Calendar app on your iPhone and locate the event.
2. Tap it to open information about it.
3. Tap the three horizontal dots and navigate to the bottom of the menu.
4. Select “Change owner”.
5. Enter the name and email address of someone you want to host.
6. In the list, tap their name.
7. Select “Change owner”.
8. The person will receive an invitation to become an owner. Once they accept it, you will no longer be the host of this Google Meet.

Note that the Google Meet host must have a Google account.

How to Change Host in Google Meet on Android App

Hosting a successful Google Meet event is impossible without a host. If you're not going to attend the event you created, it's best to change organizers before the meeting starts. Follow the steps below to do so on your Android device:

1. Launch Google Calendar and locate the Google Meet event.
2. Tap on it, then select the three horizontal dots.
3. Scroll down the menu and tap "Change Ownership".
4. Type in the name and email address of the person you want to host.
5. Tap "Change owner".
6. The person will receive an invitation by e-mail. Once they accept, you will no longer be the Meet host.

How do I switch hosts in Google Meet Classroom?

You can transfer ownership of a class to someone else and make them the primary teacher in Google Classroom. Here's how:

1. Visit classroom.google.com.
2. Go to the class whose main teacher you want to change.
   
3. Go to "People" and click on the three dots next to the new primary teacher.
   
4. Click "Make Class Owner".
   
5. Select "Invite".
   

They will now receive an invitation to join the class via email. Once they confirm, you will no longer be in charge of that class and the new primary teacher will own all the class materials. This includes Google Drive folders, documents from lesson template folders, and student work.

Once the new teacher accepts the invitation, you will become the co-teacher. Just be sure not to delete your primary teacher account before transferring class ownership. If you do, some class functionality may not work.

Additional FAQs

Can you have multiple hosts in a Google meeting?

Since June 2022, a new update of Google Meet allows to add co-hosts. This long-awaited feature has finally arrived, and the platform is now ready for a new school year. In addition to teachers, teaching assistants can also host the meeting and share almost the same privileges.

The feature can be enabled by adjusting the so called host management option. Once host management is enabled, some Workspace hosts can add up to 25 co-hosts to a Google meeting. These workspaces include Business Standard, Business Plus, Essentials, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, and Workspace for Education editions.

You can enable host management while you're in a meeting, and someone can become a co-host once they enter the event. Also, you can't make someone a co-host while they're in a chat room. They must return to the main hall to obtain hosting privileges.

Here's how to enable host management on a PC:

1. Join a meeting and click "Meeting Security".

2. A side panel will appear. Enable the "Host Management" toggle.

3. You can turn it off by switching again.

To add a co-host, follow these steps on a PC:

1. While in a meeting, click the "Show Everyone" icon at the bottom right.

2. Find someone you want to assign co-host tasks to in the list of attendees.

3. Click on the three vertical dots next to their name.

4. Choose “Grant Controls to Host”.

5. They will now see the meeting security icon appear at the bottom of their screen.

If you want to enable guest management on your Android and iPhone devices, follow the steps below:

1. During a meeting, tap the three vertical dots (Menu.)

2. Go to “Meeting Security” and enable host management.

To add or remove a co-host through your Android or iPhone device, follow these steps:

1. Tap a meeting screen.

2. Tap the meeting name in the upper left corner.

3. Find someone you want to co-host from the “People” tab.

4. Tap the three vertical dots next to their name and select "Add as co-host".

Notes: At the time of writing (August 2022), the host management feature has yet to be rolled out to all accounts. It is expected to do so soon, however.

Changing Google Meet host explained

Google Meet hosts have complete control over who has access to a meeting and many other features. For this reason, it is important that they are made hosts before the session begins. The safest way to change hosts is to change the settings of the Google Calendar where the event is scheduled.

This article has given you step-by-step instructions on how to change host in Google Meet on PC, Android and iPhone devices. If you have any questions regarding the process, please leave us a comment below.