7 Ways to Access Google Meet

This one started as a video conferencing solution for organizations using Google Workspace and has since become one of the most popular tools for productive experiences for active users and everyone with or without a personal account. It is a perfect free solution for anyone with an email address and Internet access to get a modern, scalable, stable, and secure way to conduct virtual meetings anywhere, anytime.

Google is actively integrating Meet into other apps like Gmail, Chat, Classroom, Calendar, and Slides, releasing regular product updates that enrich the functionalities of its services. The relationships between Workspace apps provide a wide range of collaboration opportunities for people who use its tools.

In this blog, we’ll explore how you can access Google Meet through different GWS tools. Our focus will be on guiding you through the most efficient and quick methods to join Google meetings, making your virtual collaboration as smooth and rapid as possible.

How to Create a Meeting in Google Meet

If you ever wondered how to set up a Google Meet and invite your colleagues or clients, here is your answer. To do this, follow these steps:

1. You should go to meet.google.com, choose it from all the GWS tools in the upper-right corner, or just open the application on your device.
2. Sign in to any of your accounts or create one if you haven’t yet.
3. When inside, click the “Join or start a meeting” button. Here, you have several options to tailor your setup. Immediate Meeting: If you need to start a discussion right away, simply enter a name and begin the session. This is ideal for impromptu meetings or urgent discussions. Scheduled for later: If you plan to meet later, you can schedule a meeting. This option is beneficial when organizing a meeting in advance, allowing you to share the code with your guests beforehand. This is also useful for planned team meetings, client presentations, or workshops. Integration with Calendar: Scheduling a meeting in Google Calendar is the best option for more structured and recurring events. It allows you to set an agenda, send out a Google Meet invite, and set up notifications and reminders. This method is excellent for routine meetings, webinars, or anything that requires participant management and reminders.
4. Once you choose the most convenient type for your case, you’ll immediately get the code for your virtual gathering.

Now that you know how to create your meeting, let’s discover the seven ways to access the hangouts created by others.

Way #1. How to Get Access without an Account

Most people are wrong in thinking that only the person with an active account can enter. Without it, you can join the meeting either with a code or a link.

• To join the meeting with a code, go to the site, enter the code in the textbox, and click the “Join” button.
• If you have a link to the meeting, click on it, tap your name, and join.

Remember that if you do not have an account, you can quickly join Meet Google, but not create the meeting on your own.

Way #2. How to Access Google Meet with Calendar

When you create a new event using Calendar in the browser or calendar apps on Android or iOS, you can add a video conference.

So, here’s how to set up a Google Meet in Chrome on your desktop:

1. Go to calendar.google.com & sign in.
2. Then select “+ New” to create a new event.
3. Select “Add Video Conferencing,” then add other details about the event, or select “More Options.”
4. Then enter the details and select “Save.”

For information about how to make a Google Meet on a Chromebook, please see the steps above. They’re the same.

In the Calendar apps on mobile devices:

1. Click the + button.
2. Event.
3. Add Video Conference.
4. Add event details.
5. Click Save.

That’s it. Every guest invited to this event can quickly access your video conference. And even more, you can send this link to everyone outside of your company or people who do not have an account; they all will have the possibility to quickly join your gathering.

Using the Calendar app makes your scheduling process easier. Adding a video conference to your events ensures that all participants have the meeting details at their fingertips, reducing the likelihood of missed meetings and improving time management.

Way #3. How to Access Google Meet through Gmail

Sometimes it’s better to have a conversation than to continue exchanging emails. It’s fantastic that Gmail includes access to Meet in the web browser and mobile app. So, when you want to get to the meeting session right away while writing an email, you know what to do. Press the Meet icon in the left sidebar of your Gmail, and find all your planned meetings automatically synced with your Calendar. You can also create a new meeting from here or join one not on the Calendar via the link by clicking “Join the meeting.”

Way #4. How to Access Google Meet through Chat

In Chat, you can add a video conference that gives everyone in the room access to a Meet link. Select a person or room in the Chat (on the left). Then click on the corresponding icon to add a video conference. Select the Send icon (the triangle pointing to the right) to share your chat message. Everything is done.

Way #5. How to Access Google Meet through Slides

Slides is a great tool to work on your presentations with your team and easily access, share, and manage them. To join via Slides, just go to your presentation, click on the Meet sign in the upper-right corner, and now you can see all the meetings you have further with the possibility to enter them in one click, like via Gmail.

Using this tandem will also help you present your Slides directly in any active session. All you need to do is:

1. Enter the meeting.
2. Open the presentation you want to show.
3. Tap on the “Present now” → Tab.
4. Choose a presentation.
5. Click “Share.”

Voilà, now you can present your Slides directly in the meeting.

Note that you can only control a presentation when you’re in slideshow mode, which can be activated by clicking on the “Start slideshow” button just above the menu in your Meet. It’s a great way to present the speaker’s slides during the webinar without additional switching between tabs. Find some tips and tricks on holding a Google Meet webinar in our blog.

Way #6. How to Join through Classroom

A teacher—or anyone who has created a class with Classroom—can create a single, reusable Meet link. The link will only work for students once the teacher enters the Meet session.

As a teacher, you should first create your class in Classroom, then choose “Generate a link” on the main screen of your class.

Choose “Visible” for students and save a meeting link. If necessary, you can also reset the link. This can also be done in the Settings section.

As a student, you should go to Classroom, select the class you want to attend, and click “Join” in the left corner. If you’ve been wondering how to create one as a student, the answer is that only your instructor can do so.

Way #7. How to Gain Access through Your Jamboard Device (Now Discontinued)

Previously, if you had an interactive whiteboard called Jamboard, you could connect it to your sessions and allow your team to draw and discuss together.

On October 1, 2024, all Jamboard devices went unlicensed. Among other things, this means that, unfortunately, you can no longer use it to join Google Meet. What you still can do, however, is pair it with another device via an HDMI cord and use it as an extended display (think of a touchscreen for your laptop).

For users who work within a diverse tech ecosystem, compatibility with other apps and devices, such as Zoom Room and Cisco Webex, means you can join meetings from your preferred platform without missing a beat.

There are also a considerable number of different extensions that allow you to frame your settings in advance in the most convenient way for you to participate in the meetings, such as microphone mute, auto-join, enabling reactions or captions, or dismissing other pop-ups.

In summary, the multitude of access points ensures that you can easily connect and collaborate regardless of your device or preferred tool. This versatility cements its role as an essential application for effective communication.

Note. If you use an organizational account, your GWS administrators can control or restrict some settings for the apps. Contact your GWS administrator if you can’t access the needed features or need any advice on how to set up a Google Meet.

Want to bring your meetings to the next level? Learn more about the Google Meet hardware license.

The Most Popular Questions

Do you need a Google account to use Google Meet?

To host or schedule a meeting, you do need an account.

Can you join a Google Meet without a Google account?

Yes, you can if you’ve got an invite. Meeting organizers can generate a meeting link that allows guests to participate without needing an account. Guests can simply click the link and enter the meeting as attendees. However, note that having an account provides additional options and features.

Can anyone join with the link?

By default, if a meeting organizer shares the meeting link, anyone with the link can attempt to join the meeting. However, the organizer can set additional security options, like requiring participants to request access or enter a meeting code, to control who can join. In a very different scenario, organizers can allow anyone to join without permission. In any case, hosts need to manage the meeting’s security settings to prevent unauthorized access.

What is it used for?

The purposes vary:

• Hosting virtual meetings and video conferences.
• Conducting remote work and collaboration.
• Connecting with colleagues, clients, or students from different locations.
• Sharing screens and documents during meetings.
• Recording meetings for later reference.
• Hosting webinars and online events.

To sum up, it’s widely used for real-time communication and collaboration in business, education, and personal settings.

How to create a Google Meet link?

1. Go to meet.google.com or open the app.
2. Click on “Join or start a meeting” (if prompted to sign in, use your account).
3. To start a new meeting, click “Start a meeting.”
4. You will be provided with a meeting link immediately. You can copy and share this link with others as your Google Meet invite.

How many people can join a Google Meet?

The number of people who can join depends on the specific plan you are using:

• The free plan and Workspace’s Business Starter tier allow up to 100 participants in a meeting.
• Business Standard offers a maximum of 150 participants.
• Business Plus supports as many as 500 attendees.
• Enterprise Plus can accommodate up to 1,000 participants.

It’s important to note that the tool has both participant and meeting duration limits, which can vary depending on your plan and any special promotions or changes introduced by the vendor.

How to join on the phone?

1. Download the app: If you haven’t already, download the dedicated app from the Play Store (for Android) or the App Store (for iOS devices).
2. Open the app and sign in: Launch the app on your phone and sign in with your account. If you don’t have one yet, you’ll need to create it.
3. Join a meeting: If you have a meeting link, simply click on it, and it will open in the app. Alternatively, open the app and enter the meeting code provided by the host in the ‘Meeting code’ section and tap ‘Join.’
4. Allow permissions: If it’s your first time using the app, you may need to allow permissions for the app to access your camera and microphone.
5. Enter the meeting: Once you have entered the code or clicked the link and granted the necessary permissions, you will join the Google Meet session.

How to join Google Meet by the phone?

Call a dial-in cell/landline number provided in the meeting description (if any) to take part in Google Meet international calls, as well as domestic ones.

Can you use Google Meet without a phone number?

Absolutely. Internet access is the core functionality.

How to share a screen using a phone?

1. Start screen sharing: On Android: Tap on the three dots at the bottom right of your screen to open the ‘More’ menu. Then, select ‘Share screen.’ A confirmation pop-up may appear; select ‘Start Now’ to begin sharing your screen. On iOS: Tap on the screen to show the meeting controls. Click on the three dots at the bottom right to open the menu. Tap on ‘Present screen.’ Follow any prompts to start screen sharing, which may include confirming in a system dialog.
2. Stop screen sharing: When you’re done sharing your screen, you can tap ‘Stop Presenting’ in the floating control menu or return to the Meet app and tap on ‘Stop presenting’ there.

Remember, while sharing your screen, everything on it will be visible to other meeting participants, so it’s a good practice to close or hide any sensitive information or notifications before starting the presentation.

If you’d like to explore more features and discover the comparison with the top competitors, read our latest blog, Google Meet vs Zoom.

Cloudfresh is a Premier-level Google Cloud Platform Partner, and we are working to help our clients get the maximum possibilities out of innovative cloud solutions. Any GWS expert and Google Workspace consultant on our team will happily help you set up your environment and teach your administrators to manage and control your business Workspace effectively (including how to use Google Meets).

Let’s enhance your daily workflows with the many opportunities GWS offers every day and keep up with the latest features to serve your business goals more efficiently!