How to use the new 'Companion mode' feature in Google Meet to join meetings with a second screen

• Companion mode in Google Meet lets you join a meeting with a second device that's focused on screen sharing or using a whiteboard.
• This mode lets you engage in a meeting without losing sight of the participants' grid which is on your primary device.
• To use the feature, click the Use Companion mode button on Google Meet or use the Companion mode link page and enter the meeting code.

Google's Companion mode is a new feature in $4 that allows you to join a meeting with a second screen. You can connect with two laptops, for example, or a laptop and another compatible device, such as a Google Hub Max.

The second screen doesn't show the typical participant grid, and it doesn't use the device's mic, speaker, or camera — that allows you to use the devices side-by-side without creating feedback. Companion mode's second device is focused entirely on letting you share your screen, take part in whiteboard, and other tasks that are cumbersome on your main display without losing your view of the other participants on the first screen.

How to use Companion mode in Google Meet

There are two ways to start Companion mode from your secondary screen; you can do it directly from the meeting invite, or you can use a unique Companion code link with the meeting code for the meeting you want to join.

From the meeting invite, click the link to join the meeting. Then, on the Google Meet start page, find the Other joining options under the Join now and Present buttons. Click Use Companion mode.

Alternately, you can open $4 in a web browser. Enter the meeting code and click Start Companion.

Who can use Companion mode in Google Meet

Anyone can use Companion mode; it's not limited to the meeting leader or any other kind of participant. But you can only use computers, laptops, and a small number of specialty devices like the Google Hub Max — you cannot connect with an iPhone or Android device.

It's important to keep in mind, though, that as the name suggests, it's intended to be a companion to your primary device connecting to a meeting. If you sign into a meeting only with a device in companion mode, you will have no audio, so you won't be able to hear the meeting or talk. Google Meet intends for your primary screen to give you those capabilities.

How to share your screen in Companion mode

Sharing your screen in Companion mode is essentially the same as how you would ordinarily do it in Google Meet.

1. At the bottom of the screen, click the Present Now button.

2. In the pop-up menu, choose what you want to share, such as your entire screen, a specific window, or a browser tab, and then pick the specific window or tab you want everyone to see.

3. If you are sharing your entire screen or a browser tab, check the box if you want to share audio from your device.

4. Click Share.

Which features are available in Companion mode

Using Companion mode, you can do many things you would ordinarily be able to do in Google Meet:

• Chat: Companion mode opens in chat mode, but if you change the display, you can always get back to it by clicking the Chat with everyone button at the bottom right.
• Share your screen: Use the Present Now button.
• Create or open a whiteboard: You can use a whiteboard to collaborate with other participants. To do that, click the Activity button at the bottom right, click Whiteboarding, and then create or open a whiteboard.

• Turn on captions: Click the CC button at the bottom of the screen to turn on automatic captioning.
• Cast the meeting: You can cast this Google Meet to another compatible device (like a Chromecast). Click the three-dot menu button and then choose Cast this meeting.
• Create a breakout room, start a poll, or record a meeting: You can find all these options in the Premium section after clicking the Activities button. You need a premium Google Meet account, though, to take advantage of these options.

Which features are not available in Companion mode

Companion mode is a secondary portal into your meeting, and as such it doesn't have all the capabilities compared to an ordinary Google Meet window. Here's what's missing:

• You don't have access to the participants' grid. You need to use your primary screen to see who is in the meeting, and the Companion mode device won't appear in the participants' grid as another participant.
• You can't use your Companion mode device's camera, microphone or speakers, so you can't hear or speak using that connection to the meeting. Google Meet expects you to also be connecting with another device in the usual way.