Google Meet Introduces ‘Switch Here’ Feature That Lets Users Switch Devices Without Leaving a Call

Google Meet is getting a new feature that will make it easier for users to switch between two different devices while on a call. The new feature, dubbed Switch Here, will remove the need to end the call from one device and rejoin from a different device, making the process seamless. The tech giant has made the feature available for both Workspace accounts as well personal account holders. Notably, earlier this year Google introduced a new feature for its videoconferencing app which allowed hosts and co-hosts to pin up to three participants on the screen.

Making the announcement via its Workspace blog post, Google said, “Beginning today, you can smoothly transfer between devices while on a Google Meet call without hanging up and rejoining[..]You'll notice the new “Switch here” option when joining a meeting on your laptop, which will switch the call from your mobile devices while maintaining an ongoing conversation and without worrying about missing important information.”

The post also shared a quick video demo of the feature and it works fairly straightforward. If a user has joined a call using their smartphone or laptop, they can open the meeting link on the other device which will now show a Switch Here button instead of ‘Join Now'. Once it is clicked, the app will seamlessly switch the user from one device to the other, without showing the transition to other participants.

This is a handy feature for those who have to attend meetings while they are travelling or are not near a computer. Instead of delaying the meeting because of the device unavailability, they can simply join from their phone and switch as they reach their primary device. While this feature is available to Google Workspace users who are paid subscribers, this feature is free to use and is also available to personal account holders.

Google has been adding new features to make its videoconferencing app more convenient to use. In February, the platform received a new feature that allows the host or co-host to pin up to three participants. This tool is designed to help participants easily locate the speakers in large meetings.