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Showing how you really feel about your next meeting could soon be a lot easier (and riskier) thanks to a new update to Google Meet.
The video conferencing tool adds in-meeting responses using emoji, allowing users to quickly show their approval (or objection) in real time.
By using common emojis, such as a smiley face, heart symbol, or thumbs down, the comments appear as a small badge in the sender’s video tile and float on the left side of the screen.
Google Meet emoji reactions
For those really explosive moments, when there’s multiple user engagements, Google says users will see a burst of emojis on the left side of the screen.
Users can also share a comment by selecting the “smile” icon in the control bar to display the comment bar. This menu also allows users to select the skin tone of their choice, which is then applied to all color-changing emojis.
“In-meeting responses provide a lightweight, non-disruptive way to join and participate in meetings without interrupting the speaker. Further, with options to select skin tones that best represent your identity, you can participate authentically” , the company wrote in a Google Workspace blog post (opens in new tab) announce the news.
“We hope these features make it easier for you, your colleagues and stakeholders to stay better connected and engaged whether they’re working from home, the office or anywhere in between.”
The new responses, rolling out January 16, are on by default, so admins or end users don’t have to do anything.
They are available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as older G Suite Basic and Business customers and customers with a personal Google account.
The news is the latest in a series of updates to Google Meet as the company looks to make its platform more appealing to users everywhere. It recently unveiled three rather disturbing video filters to offer a bit more personality to users who want to portray themselves with a tree trunk or a strawberry for a head, or be cast as a rabbit in an office cubicle.
There are also virtual backgrounds, which let users pretend they’re working on the beach or in the middle of a snow storm, and even simple blurs, which help users hide the clutter in their busy workspaces.