Google Support & Guidance
Accessibility Options
Immediately available within Google Meet are several accessibility options, as follows;
Closed Captions
Closed captions, also known as subtitles, provide a text-based supplement or alternative to an audio conversation taking place within Google Meet, and can further be used to translate a conversation into multiple other languages. Closed captions are enabled on an individual user-by-user basis and are solely visible to the individual user.
To enable closed captions, select the 'Closed Captions' option ('CC' icon), located in the centre and along the bottom row of available options within Google Meet. Alternatively, closed captions can be enabled and disabled by selecting the 'C' key on your keyboard. In either instance, a prompt will appear within Google Meet to confirm that closed captions have been enabled or disabled.
Please refer to the interactive Google Meet Interface activity for more information on the available options. Additionally, please refer to the following Google Meet Support page for more information regarding closed captions, including the various languages available for translation.
Transcripts
Unless specifically enabled for all users within a particular and individual Google Meet, transcripts - and thereby the transcripts option - are available only to the Google Meet host and any assigned co-host(s), and provide a text-based summary to all audio conversations which took place within a Google Meet but not including any text-based messages sent via the chat feature. In essence, transcripts are a non-live version of closed captions and contain all of the conversation(s), not a singular phrase or sentence.
Transcripts are currently only available when using a desktop computer or laptop, and can be enabled individually and by selecting the 'Activities' option followed by 'Transcripts', or are automatically, and by default, enabled upon recording a Google Meet. Transcripts cannot be paused but can be stopped and restarted, and thus creating a new and separate transcript. Once manually stopped or upon completion of a meeting, transcripts are automatically saved to the host's Google Drive and are subsequently attached to the Google Calendar event, assuming the meeting was created within Google Calendar, and accessible to all invited attendees. Additionally and once available, all invitees are notified of the availability of the transcript(s) via email.
Please refer to the interactive Google Meet Interface activity for more information on the available options. Additionally, for more information regarding transcripts, please refer to the following Google Meet Support page.
Push to Talk
Once enabled, push to talk will, by default, mute the user's microphone, requiring them to push and hold the spacebar key on their keyboard in order to unmute their microphone. To mute your microphone again, release the spacebar. This feature maybe particularly useful for users whom prefer to remain muted for large durations of a meeting, speaking at random or sporadic intervals.
Push to talk is disabled by default and requires the user to access the 'Settings' option, and within the 'Audio' tab, enable the 'Push to talk' option. If enabled, this option solely applies to the specific Google Meet and doesn't apply to all future meetings.
Please refer to the interactive Google Meet Interface activity for more information on the available options.
Remove Video Distractions
Remove one or multiple user(s) video feed from your Google Meet, thus allowing you to focus more on specific participant(s). Removing a participant's video feed doesn't notify the affected user and the change is solely specific to yourself.
To remove a user's video feed, select the 'Participants' option, located in the lower right corner, followed by the 'Options' (three dots icon), located immediately to the right of the desired user, and 'Remove Video Feed'. You can repeat this process to later re-enable a user's video feed, if desired.
Please refer to the interactive Google Meet Interface activity for more information on the available options.
Pair Tiles
The pair tiles feature allows users to pair their video feeds within a particular Google Meet; this maybe particularly useful for a user and their sign language interpreter, for example. Once paired and once either or any of the paired participants speak, both video feeds will be visible and highlighted to all other participants, further combining them within any closed captions, if enabled.
Keyboard Shortcuts
While using Google Meet, the following keyboard shortcuts allow users to perform various commands and actions using their keyboard rather than selecting the relevant option from within the Google Meet interface. Please note that the following is a list of applicable commands and actions and isn't an exhaustive list; for a complete list of keyboard shortcuts, please refer to the following Google Meet Support page.
| Google Meet Command or Action | Mac | Windows & Chrome OS |
|---|---|---|
| Announce who is currently speaking | Ctrl + Cmmd + s | Ctrl + Alt + s |
| Announce current information about the room | Ctrl + Cmmd + i | Ctrl + Alt + i |
| Announce recently received reactions | Ctrl + Cmmd + x | Ctrl + Alt + x |
| Google Meet Command or Action | Mac | Windows & Chrome OS |
|---|---|---|
| Show and hide captions | c | c |
| Turn camera off and on | Cmmd + e | Ctrl + e |
| Mute and unmute microphone | Cmmd + d | Ctrl + d |
| Increase the number of participant tiles (or video feeds) | Ctrl + Cmmd + k | Ctrl + Alt + k |
| Decrease the number of participant tiles (or video feeds) | Ctrl + Cmmd + j | Ctrl + Alt + j |
| Show and hide the Google Meet chat | Ctrl + Cmmd + c | Ctrl + Alt + c |
| Show and hide participants list | Ctrl + Cmmd + p | Ctrl + Alt + p |
| Raise and lower your (digital) hand | Ctrl + Cmmd + h | Ctrl + Alt + h |
| Minimise and expand your video | Ctrl + Cmmd + m | Ctrl + Alt + m |
| Push to talk (unmute) | Press and hold spacebar to unmute. Release to mute. | Press and hold to unmute. Release to mute. |
For MacOS users, "Cmmd" is defined as the ⌘ key on an Apple keyboard.