How to Use Google Meet for Video Calls

A straightforward guide to joining and starting video calls on Google Meet from your phone, tablet, or computer.

At a Glance

Install Google Meet on your phone (if needed)

~15s

Open the App Store (iPhone) or Play Store (Android). Search for "Google Meet." Tap Get or Install. The icon is a green video camera on a white background. Computer users can skip this step — browser works fine.

Tap the meeting link you were sent

~15s

In your email or text, look for a link that starts with "meet.google.com/" followed by random letters. Tap the link. The Meet app opens on your phone, or the meeting opens in your browser on a computer.

Sign in with your Google account

~15s

On a phone, you may be asked to pick which Google account to use. Tap your Gmail address. If you have no Google account, tap Create account and follow the steps. It takes about 5 minutes and is free.

Allow camera and microphone access

~15s

A small box will ask if Google Meet can use your camera and microphone. Tap Allow on both. Without these, nobody can see or hear you.

Tap the blue Join button

~15s

You will see a preview of yourself before joining. If you look good, tap the blue "Join now" button. Some meetings require the host to let you in. You will wait a few seconds until they tap Admit.

Mute and unmute as needed

~15s

At the bottom of the screen, the microphone icon turns white when you are unmuted and red when muted. Tap once to toggle. It is polite to mute yourself when not speaking, especially in large groups.

Leave the call when done

~15s

Tap the red phone icon in the middle of the bottom toolbar. The call ends for you only — the host and other attendees keep going. No one is notified in a dramatic way. You just disappear from their screens.

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Google Meet is Google's video call service. If you have a Gmail account, you already have Google Meet. There is nothing extra to sign up for. It works much like Zoom: someone sends you a link, you tap it. And you land in a video call with everyone else who was invited.

Google Meet is free for calls up to 60 minutes with up to 100 people. That covers almost every family call, book club, or small meeting you would ever have. Longer meetings or larger groups are possible with a paid Google Workspace plan, but the free version is more than enough for regular use.

You can use Google Meet from a web browser on a computer (no install needed) or from the Google Meet app on a phone or tablet. On an iPhone or Android phone, install the Google Meet app from the App Store or Play Store. On a computer, go to meet.google.com in your browser.

The single most common question: "Do I need a Google account?" On a computer, you can usually join a meeting without signing in — the host may need to admit you. On a phone, you do need to be signed into a Google account (Gmail) to join a Meet. If you do not already have one, creating a free Gmail account takes about 5 minutes.

The controls look the same on every device. A microphone icon at the bottom to mute and unmute. A camera icon to turn your video on and off. A red "leave call" phone icon to hang up. The chat box on the side lets you type messages during the call if you do not want to interrupt.

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