Google Hangouts Feature Requests and Solutions

As the College has transitioned to online learning, we have been made aware of several frequently requested features for Google Hangouts Meet. As ITS only supports Google Hangouts Meet we have done some research to find solutions for these feature requests. Below please find the resolutions and follow this link for more detailed information regarding these resolutions.

Feature Request	Solution
Grid View in Hangouts Meet	Use this link to download a chrome extension for grid view.
Breakout rooms	Create additional meeting rooms and share link with groups.
Whiteboard feature	Use Google Jamboard to create  collaborative Jams and share your  screen during meeting.

For more help, please contact ITS at its@manhattan.edu or 718-862-7973

Hangouts Meet Update: New Adaptive Meeting Layouts Available

What’s changing 

Hangouts Meet is launching adaptive layouts that automatically adjust to give you the best view of the people and presentations in your meeting:

Spotlight 
The spotlight layout keeps the focus on the presentation or a single speaker. It’s used when you’re in a meeting with just one other participant, when you pin someone, and when there’s a presentation but no active speakers with video on.

Tiled 
The tiled layout shows up to four participants on the screen to make your meetings feel more inclusive. This will be the default for smaller meetings when there is no presentation.

Side by side 
The side by side layout shows up to three speakers in a larger format next to the presentation. This allows you to continue to see the presenter as they speak. This is the default when there’s a presentation and there are active speakers with video on.

Sidebar 
The sidebar layout improves on the existing Meet layout by showing several additional participants in the same vertical space and using rectangular feeds to avoid participants on the edge being cropped out. This will be the default for larger meetings when there is no presentation.

In addition to seeing these layouts automatically used depending on the meeting needs, users can select a preferred layout from the Change layout dialog.

Why you’d use it 

These new layouts provide the user with a more inclusive and collaborative view of the meeting, allowing for easier interaction with remote participants while still maintaining focus on the content being presented.

Additional details 

The new layouts are coming soon on Hangouts Meet web clients and Hangouts Meet hardware.

Helpful links 

To learn more about layouts in Hangout Meets, see our Help Center. 

To learn more information see: Google Hangouts.

To learn more about adding participants with dial in numbers see: Hangouts Meet meetings with dial-in phone numbers.

Partially reposted from: New adaptive meetings layouts in Hangouts Meet

Week 9 Tech Showcase - Google Hangouts Meet Hardware

Google Hangouts Meet Hardware

Google Hangouts Meet is transitioning. Please review this Transition Timeline for additional info.

What is Google Hangouts Meet?

With Google Hangouts Meet, you can hold impromptu video meetings on the go, virtual training classes around the world, remote interviews, and much more

What is Dial-in?

Dial-in allows you to connect to a meeting using a phone number as an alternative to the meeting code. This feature will automatically be selected when you select the Hangouts Meet conferencing option while creating a calendar event in Google Calendar. Note that this dial-in feature uses an international phone number, which allows meeting participants in other countries to join the Meeting. Please visit this G Suite Updates Article for more information about Dial-in.

Why should you use Hangouts Meet and Dial In?

It promotes communication from anywhere in the world. This is especially useful for quickly joining a Hangouts meeting on-the-go via a laptop or phone call.

Google Hangouts Meet Hardware is a meeting device found in select rooms on campus that enables video conferencing powered by Google Hangouts. With these devices, you can hold a video conference with up to 25 participants. Google Hangouts Meet Hardware on campus use full HD 1080p cameras.

(Located DLS 209, Charter Room)

We are interested in your feedback, please take a few moments to complete the following: survey

Additional Resources:
Google Hangouts Help
Best Practices for Video Conference
Best Practices Guide

Strategies Aimed at Improving Video Conferences

ITS has created resources aimed at improving Video Conference experiences or Google (Hangouts) Meet. Google Hangouts Meet allows you to hold impromptu video meetings on the go, or host a video meeting with up to 50 people at a time.

Review video and Knowledge Base Articles which outline Tips and Techniques to use for a better video conference experience:

Troubleshooting Video Conferences
Best Practices for Video Conferences

Partially reposted from:  A Video Conference Call in Real Life:  

Tips and Techniques Aimed at Improving Video Conferences

ITS has created resources aimed at improving Video Conference experiences or Google (Hangouts) Meet.

Review video and Knowledge Base Articles which outline Tips and Techniques to use for better video conferences:

Troubleshooting Video Conferences
Best Practices for Video Conferences

partially reposted from:  A Video Conference Call in Real Life:  

Invite people to an ongoing Hangouts Meet meeting

Google is adding a new way to invite people to an ongoing meeting directly within Hangouts Meet. When you’re in a Meet meeting, you’ll now see an option to “Add people” at the top of the participant list.

Add people directly from the call

Clicking on this option will open a dialog box to send them an email invite to join as a full participant or call them into the meeting by phone.

To invite someone into your meeting, simply input their email address or lookup by name from the company directory.The invited participant will receive an email with instructions to join your meeting.

Enter the person's name, email address, or phone number

As always, inviting someone using their phone number will immediately call the phone number to to add them to the meeting. They will join as an audio only participant and will not see any video or the screenshare.

For more information on inviting people to Meet meetings, check out the Help Center.

Manhattan College has video conferencing set up with Google Hangouts Meet in the following rooms:
De La Salle Hall:    Room 209
Memorial Hall:       Charter Room

Please consult 25Live to book these rooms for your video conference.

Note you don't have to be in these rooms to hold or participate in a video meeting. You can initiate or participate in a video meeting  from your desktop/laptop/mobile device meet app.(Hangouts Meet.)



More Information:
Help Center: Invite people, Best Practices for Video Conferences, Google Hangouts

Partially reposted from:  Invite people to an ongoing Hangouts Meet meeting

Create a Hangouts Meet Meeting with a Dial-In Phone Number

Hangouts Meet has just added a new feature which allows you to connect to a meeting using a phone number as an alternative to the meeting code. This includes when you’re away from your computer, like if you're commuting or don't have a data connection, and you need to call into your Meetings while on the go.

This feature will automatically be selected when you select the Hangouts Meet conferencing option while creating a calendar event in Google Calendar. 

Note that this dial-in feature uses an international phone number, which allows meeting participants in other countries to join the meeting.

For more details review this KBA Hangouts Meet Meetings with Dial-in Phone Numbers

Partially reposted from the https://gsuiteupdates.googleblog.com/2018/04/g-suite-basic-and-business-customers-dial-into-Hangouts-Meet.html

Introducing the new Hangouts Meet.

It's easier than ever before to join a video meeting through Google Hangouts.  Not only do you have more options, but a simpler and cleaner interface.  Google Hangouts Meet is now the default video meeting option when creating a meeting in Google Calendar.  

With Google Hangouts Meet, you can hold impromptu video meetings on the go, virtual training classes around the world, remote interviews, and much more. If you have G Suite Enterprise you can host a Hangouts Meet video meeting for up to 30 people at a time, with no time limit. For G Suite Basic and Business, a video meeting may have up to 25 participants.

Get started with
Hangouts Meet

Reposted from Google Meet support:

https://support.google.com/meet/answer/7290445?hl=en