A Complete Guide on Companion Mode in Google Meet

Table of Contents

Master Companion Mode in Google Meet by learning its essence, key features, and activation steps to unlock the true potential of hybrid collaboration. Examine troubleshooting tips and study how to optimize your post-meeting results with AI.

You join the crowded meeting using multiple devices, immediately getting everyone’s attention and interrupting a speaker with the echoing sound. Does it sound familiar? It does to me. While it is merely a problem, it often feels awkward and annoying. So, what if you could quietly join, participate, and contribute without disrupting anything? That’s exactly what Google Meet Companion Mode is for.

In this article, you will discover all the ins and outs of this feature, compare it with a standard configuration, and answer the main question: how to use Companion Mode in Google Meet effectively.

Key Features and Benefits of Google Meet Companion Mode

Before we dive into the activation steps, I suggest that we discuss what functionality the mode provides and how it differs from the regular settings you are used to.

Seamless Audio and Video Control to Minimize Distractions

The main advantage of Google Meet Companion Mode lies in reduced distractions. When attendees join a call, their microphones and cameras are turned off by default. This helps hosts avoid any background noise or duplicated audio/video from multiple devices.

There is no need to worry about unmuted microphones when multiple attendees join the call or unprofessional backgrounds that negatively influence focus. The idea of the mode lies in a clean and distraction-free layout for everyone.

Interactive Tools That Improve Employee Engagement

Additionally, every attendee receives equal access to interactive features such as polls, Q&A, emoji reactions, captions, and meeting chat (when enabled). It is easy to share feedback or ask questions without stealing the spotlight for both remote and in-room teams.

Example: During a hybrid town-hall meeting, all attendees can raise their hands or react with emojis instead of interrupting, regardless of their location. Hosts can also track poll responses and interact with the whole audience as soon as they see the results.

Flexible Access for Hybrid Collaboration

Another benefit of Google Meet’s Companion Mode is its support for joining from various devices. Professionals can use their desktops to present slides or attend a meeting from an Android tablet to participate in a Q&A session.

The only limitation is that attendees cannot use the feature on multiple devices at the same time with the same account. To work across a few screens, they need to join in different modes (a regular one and one with Companion). Otherwise, they can choose whichever device best fits their needs.

Improved Collaboration for Hybrid Teams

Lastly, Companion Mode in Google Meet ensures collaboration equity. It lets in-office and remote participants access meeting chat, polls, and Q&A, removing any barriers that limit interaction.

Example: Both remote attendees and in-room professionals can use Companion Mode on their phones to submit questions. Offline professionals do not have to interrupt speakers from the same room to voice their questions or concerns.

Activating Companion Mode in Google Meet

Now that you know all the perks of the feature and can picture it in your next conversation, it is time we move to practice. In this section, I will help you gain more confidence and answer the next question on our list: How do you use Google Meet Companion Mode?

Join Companion Mode Through a Meeting Invite

The first option is to use a Google Meet calendar invite or Gmail event link. This way, you automatically connect to the call and can activate Companion Mode. Here are three simple steps you need to follow:

Open the Google Calendar invite or Gmail event.
Click the meeting link.
On the join screen, select Use Companion Mode.

This method works best for scheduled meetings where you need quick access to chat messages, polls, and Q&A.

Access Companion Mode Using a Short Link

What if you do not have access to your calendar or have lost the link? Use the short link g.co/companion to launch the call in presentation mode. This way, you can share your screen without creating a duplicate video tile. Below are the steps for this option:

Go to g.co/companion in your browser.
Enter the meeting code shared by the host.
Join the meeting.

It is a fast option that works best for professionals who often present information to other meeting participants.

Activate Companion Mode Using the App on Mobile Devices

Do you prefer using the Google Meet app on your mobile phone, tablet, or foldable device? This section is for professionals who want a second screen to engage with polls, Q&A, or chat while their desktop handles video. Traditionally, here are the steps you need to follow:

Open the Google Meet app.
Enter the meeting code or tap the invite link.
On the join screen, choose Companion Mode.

This method works best for hybrid meetings. You may present with your laptop and use your phone to react with emojis, raise your hand, or monitor chat.

How Companion Mode Operates Behind the Scenes

Think of this feature as a smart layer on top of the meeting experience. It shapes active participation in a non-disrupting way, reduces noise, and keeps hosts in control. Want to know what’s best about it? It benefits both attendees and hosts.

I suggest that we take a closer look at how Companion Mode in Google Meet works behind the scenes to improve your experience during video calls.

What Companion Mode Does for Participants

So, what does Companion Mode mean in Google Meet for you as an attendee? Disabled video and microphone are obvious, yet not the only results of this feature’s quiet work. Let’s examine other benefits:

Improved accessibility: Attendees can enable captions and access screen-for-content tools to follow along at ease.
Support for multiple devices: Professionals can join using mobile phones, foldable devices or desktops. The mode is flexible.
Inclusive presence: Google Meet Companion Mode logs you in for attendance tracking and shows you on the participant list.
No tile overload: Employees can also avoid duplicate video tiles in crowded company meetings.

Overall, the feature brings the most for hybrid or remote teams, in-room attendees with shared displays, or professionals who use multiple screens or devices.

What Companion Mode Does for Hosts

So, what is Companion Mode for meeting hosts or speakers? I’d say it’s a way to turn complex meetings into structured and focused sessions. At the very least, it reduces noise, prevents technical issues, and ensures everyone has a voice. Surely, these benefits are just the tip of the iceberg:

Attendee management: Hosts can assign co-hosts, manage the participant list, track engagement, and forget about audio problems.
Equal actions & participation: Every professional can access interactive tools, Q&A, polls, and chat.
Improved layout & structure: Google Meet Companion Mode maintains a clean layout in the meeting grid, reduces distractions, and ensures the conversation sticks to the team meeting agenda.

In conclusion, this functionality enhances company-wide events, hybrid meetings, and all-hands, and helps team leads manage mixed environments.

How Sembly AI Improves the Meeting Experience

Do you know what else makes your meetings easier? A smart AI meeting note-taker like Sembly. While Google Meet Companion Mode simplifies how you join meetings, Sembly handles what comes next. It listens and analyzes your conversations, turning hour-long calls into tasks, notes, and deliverables without taking up space or disrupting the flow. Considering that meeting participants cannot record conversations from their side, as a host, you can ensure that important decisions are captured and available to everyone, regardless of attendance.

Are you curious how much of a difference Sembly can make? Let’s compare what your meetings look like with and without a smart AI meeting note-taker:

Aspect	With Sembly	Without Sembly
Meeting Focus	Professionals stay present, engage with colleagues, and actively listen to meeting information while Sembly handles admin tasks	Participants have to switch between speaking, listening, and manual note-taking
Action Items	Action items are automatically captured, attributed, and organized	Tasks are often missed or incorrectly assigned
Meeting Notes & Summaries	Meeting data is centralized, searchable, and aligned with workflows	Notes are fragmented or stored inconsistently
Post-Meeting Documentation	Documents are generated automatically based on the available meeting content	Document creation is time-consuming and requires manual recaps, summaries, and knowledge sharing

As a result, with Google Meet Companion Mode and Sembly, you get the best of both worlds: collaborative participation during the call, and clear outcomes after it is over.

Limitations to Keep in Mind with Companion Mode

The whole idea of this mode is to provide an interactive meeting experience and ensure facilitators can host with confidence. However, structure and space with no distractions come at a cost: there are conditions.

I suggest that we briefly discuss the features that may limit your actions during a conversation:

No audio stream: Companion Mode in Google Meet does not mark your tile as an active speaker, as it does not support an audio stream.
Disabled audio and video: Your video and microphone are turned off by default. If there’s a need to share opinions out loud, you have to enable them manually.
Limited access to host controls: Google Meet Companion Mode does not allow access to actions such as assigning co-hosts or managing global permissions.
No dual join: You cannot join the meeting using the same account with a Companion’s mode twice. Instead, you’ll have to mix modes on different devices. For example, use a regular setup on your phone and Companion on your desktop.

The two common business use cases of this setup are to provide a second screen and help office employees present information using one device while interacting with colleagues on the other (Google). This simplification approach cuts the standard stack of features, making any meeting in Companion Mode more focused but also more limited, with only participation, presence, and interaction available.

Troubleshooting and Practical Tips for Companion Mode

The good thing is that, from personal experience, this mode is quite stable. It does its job, and there are few cases where something can go wrong. I have selected the most common reasons that can cause problems with your meeting. Let’s dive in!

Presented Content Is Not Visible or Shows a Black Screen

Do you see a black screen instead of relevant content or presentation? 3rd party Chrome extensions can be the reason. Some of them can manipulate video, screen overlays, or content filters and, as a result, block what you are trying to share or see.

Here is how you try to fix the black screen issue in your Google Meet:

Temporarily disable extensions and reload the meeting.
Join in Incognito Mode.
Use g.co/present to launch a clean sharing session.

Broken Chat Messages Interface

Is your chat interface in Google Meet broken? Multiple cases can lead to this: network hiccups, heavy load, or extension conflicts. Your chat window can freeze, lag, or reflect messages vertically, decreasing readability.

If you face an issue with a chat, try following these steps:

Refresh the tab or rejoin Companion Mode.
Disable browser extensions that may interfere with chat or network behavior.
Check the Connection delay or CPU usage in the Troubleshooting & Help settings.
Ensure that Google Workspace settings permit chat in meetings.

Glitching Meeting or Presentation

Is your presentation or meeting space glitching? It can happen when network bandwidth is low, the CPU is overloaded, or when extensions interfere with a call. In Companion Mode, the system is simplified, but performance hiccups can still influence your experience.

Here are the steps that may help:

Close unnecessary apps, tabs, or background processes to free system resources.
Switch to a wired or high-bandwidth Wi-Fi.
Disable any conflicting extensions.

These simple steps can help you resolve some of the common problems and ensure nothing distracts you from important conversations.

Wrapping Up

Google Meet Companion Mode is a smarter and more inclusive approach to hybrid collaboration. It keeps meetings clean, interactive, and distraction-free. Furthermore, when paired with an AI assistant like Sembly, your meetings become actionable, insightful, and decisions are always captured and safely stored for anyone to access.

In this article, we have discussed all the ins and outs of this feature and answered the main question: What is companion mode in Google Meet? I hope from now on you navigate this topic with confidence. Good luck!

FAQ

What is Companion Mode in Google Meet?

Companion Mode is a feature that lets professionals join a Google Meet without enabling their microphone or camera and access basic functionality for engagement. It is designed for hybrid and in-room participants who want to access features such as chat, polls, Q&A, and captions, or want to use a second screen.

How to turn off Companion Mode in Google Meet?

You cannot turn off Companion Mode in Google Meet. To switch back to regular mode, you need to follow these steps:

Leave the meeting in Companion Mode.
Return to the meeting using the original link.
Select “Join now” instead of “Use Companion Mode.”
Enable your microphone and camera if you want to participate with full audio and video.

When should you use Companion Mode?

Here are some of the common use cases for Google Meet Companion Mode:

You need to join a meeting from a shared space or meeting room.
You need a second screen to interact or view content.
You want to avoid audio feedback or duplicate video tiles.
You need to present information on one device and interact with the audience on another.

What is Google Meet Companion Mode for hosts?

For hosts, Companion Mode is a tool to reduce distractions in hybrid environments. It allows in-room attendees to join silently, access interactive tools, and stay visible on the participant list.

Can people hear me in Companion Mode?

Not by default. Your microphone and camera are turned off when you join the meeting in Companion Mode. Other participants cannot hear or see you unless you manually enable the microphone or video.