Google redesigned layout experience for Google Meet to improve communication and collaboration

Enhance Your Hybrid Meetings with Dynamic Layouts in Google Meet

The Google Workspace team has announced exciting new features to improve communication and representation in Google Meet, including Dynamic layouts, Dynamic tiles, and Face matching. These updates, rolling out starting March 31, 2025, for Rapid Release domains and April 17, 2025, for Scheduled Release domains, aim to bring a refreshed, modern feel to your meetings and address the challenges of hybrid work.

Dynamic Layouts: A Smarter Meeting Grid

Google Meet: Portrait tiles and various design improvements in action

Dynamic layouts in Google Meet offer a more intelligent way to arrange meeting participants. Instead of a static grid, the layout will dynamically adjust based on several factors, including:

• Content being presented
• Tiles pinned by users
• AI-enabled active-speaker detection, which automatically highlights the in-room speaker's tile without any special hardware
• Dynamic tiles for in-room participants

This adaptability helps ensure remote participants can more easily see and identify those in the meeting room. Importantly, users who prefer the traditional grid view can still switch from Auto (dynamic) to Tiled (legacy) in the layout options.

Improved Representation with Dynamic Tiles and Face Match

For organizations using Google Meet hardware, the new Dynamic Tiles feature creates individual video tiles for up to three participants joining from the same conference room. This provides better visibility for each in-room attendee.

Google Meet: Individual tiles for up to three meeting participants in a conference room

To further enhance representation, the Face match feature allows users in Companion mode on the web to associate their name with their face when Dynamic tiles are active. This ensures their tile is labelled, creating a consistent experience for everyone, whether they are remote or in the room. Face match requires the user to be given the room camera for the duration of the meeting to maintain the association. It supports a maximum of 12 faces.

Google Meet: When using Companion mode, you can associate your name with your Dynamic tile

However, Dynamic tiles will automatically revert to a room view if more than three people are detected, participants are sitting too close, or there is too much movement in the room. Dynamic tiles are available for ChromeOS-based room devices at launch, with AOSP (Android) support expected in the future. This feature is not available in interop mode.

More Flexible Self-View Options and Framing Control

Google Meet is also introducing more control over your self-view tile, with your preference carrying over across meetings. Additionally, recent improvements to automatic framing will optimally frame web users, including continuous adjustments for those with custom backgrounds.

For users who prefer their video feed never to be cropped, a new option “Show my full video to others” is available in the self-view tile's three-dot menu. This is particularly useful for sign-language interpreters to ensure their hands and arms are always visible.

Getting Started with the New Features

Admins are encouraged to review the Help Center articles to prepare for these changes, especially if their organization uses Google Meet hardware. Dynamic layouts will be ON by default for all web and room devices, with no admin setting for this feature – only layout options for end users.

The default setting for Dynamic tiles on devices can be controlled via the Default camera framing individual device setting. Existing devices will have Dynamic tiles OFF by default, while newly provisioned devices will have them ON by default. This setting can be configured for single or multiple devices in the Admin console. Dynamic tiles are best suited for smaller rooms with a capacity of six or less, where participants are within 10 feet of the camera. Testing is recommended in rooms with glass walls. Face match will always be available in Companion mode when room check-in and dynamic tiles are active. No separate admin or end-user is set for Face Match.

Google Meet: Dynamic tiles

End users will find Dynamic layouts ON by default on web and room devices but can switch to other layouts as needed. The default setting for Dynamic tiles on room devices depends on the admin configuration but can be toggled on the device's touch controller or TV interface. Face match is available via Companion mode when Dynamic tiles are active on the room device and the user checks in.

These exciting updates will roll out gradually over the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for them in your Google Meet experience. These enhancements promise to create more inclusive and effective hybrid meetings.

Source: Google