When it comes to video conferencing and online classrooms, there are some great apps out there – Google Meet is one of them. It has many great features, including the ability to mute participants.
But how does the app actually work? And can you mute everyone? This article will tell you everything you need to know about muting people in a Google Meet call.
Google Meet Mute Button – How It Works
The mute button is an essential part of all video and audio calling applications. It's especially important to know where it is and how it works if you're on a conference call. Imagine if you are a teacher trying to share valuable knowledge with students.
But one of them has a dog barking in the background, or music playing. Where is the mute button for everyone?
Unfortunately, it does not exist. Not yet, at least. But that doesn't mean you can't mute each Google Meet participant individually. It's just going to take a little longer. Here's what you need to do:
- While on a Google Meet conference call, click the Contacts icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
- A window will appear with the list of all participants in the call. Select the name of the person you want to deactivate.
- You will see the mute icon (three dotted horizontal lines). Tap the icon.
- Another window will appear, asking you to confirm that you want to mute this person for all participants in the call. You can choose "Cancel" or "Mute." »
That's all we can say about it. But since Google Meet can support 100 to 250 participants, depending on which G Suite you're using, this can be a lengthy process.
And before you start hitting the mute button left and right, it's essential to keep these facts relevant:
- Anyone in Google Meet can mute anyone else. So that can get tricky on its own.
- If you mute someone, it's not just you who can't hear them – no one will.
- Clicking the Mute button will notify all call participants that they are now muted.
- Once you mute a person, you cannot unmute them. They are the ones who must reactivate. This is attributed to Google's privacy concerns.
What if you were the mute?
Nobody likes being told to shut up. But what if you're on a Google Meet conference call and suddenly you see your mute button has turned red? Someone on the call has muted you. Maybe by accident. Or maybe you weren't aware of a noise you were making that was bothering everyone.
The good news is that you can just reactivate and continue. But if you want to know why you were muted, you can ask via chat.
Just tap the People icon and switch to the "Chat" tab and ask others if there's a problem. Because even if someone accidentally muted you, they won't be able to unmute it due to Google policy.
Use an extension
Since Google neglected to provide us with a native mute button, we resort to the old adage “where there is a will, there is a way”. If you use Chrome, there is an extension to help you! Mute All for Google Meet is an excellent and simple to use Chrome extension that gives you a mute button.
Install the extension, open Google Meet in your Chrome browser, then tap the puzzle piece icon in the top right corner. Select the extension and choose your options.
If you select the Auto-Mute option, everyone will be automatically muted. If you deselect this option, you can use the "Mute All" option to mute and unmute the sound as you wish.
If the mute button is not enough
A Google Meet conference call can get quite hectic. Especially if you are dealing with an online class situation. Sometimes mute and unmute can get tedious.
You might even decide it's time to drop certain participants from the conversation. Google Meet makes it easy for you: you can remove someone with just a few clicks. All you have to do is follow these steps:
- In a Google Meet window, tap the Contacts icon in the upper right corner.
- When the list of participants appears, select the one you want to remove from the call and then click the three-dot icon next to the participants' names.
- You will see two icons. Select the second, which is a circle with a minus button.
That's all you need to do to kick someone out of a Google Meet session. This may seem like an extreme step, but it's there for a reason. Conference calls with lots of participants are a tricky ecosystem. If there are too many distractions, no one will be able to do any work.
Unwritten conference call rule
If you're new to the idea of work-related group calls, it might take a while to get used to it. You may forget that some noises that may seem innocuous to you, bother others a lot. That's why the golden rule of conference calls is to stay quiet until it's time to talk.
It's that simple. If everyone follows this principle, Google Meet calls will go much more smoothly. But in case the person creating the noise doesn't realize it, they can always be muted by anyone else in the call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I mute everyone without muting them for everyone?
It can be tricky. You might not want to hear what everyone else is saying, but you also don't want to stop them from talking to another person. It is possible to mute everyone in a web browser.
With the browser open, look at the Google Meet tab at the very top. You will see the sound icon. Click on it and a line will appear. All participants in the Google Meet call are silent on your side while continuing to speak and be heard on their side.
Will anyone know if I mute myself on Google Meet?
Yes. If you mute yourself in Google Meet, the mute button will turn red with a line running through it.
Have you ever muted someone in Google Meet? Was it difficult to find the mute button? Let us know in the comments section below.
