Google Meet companion mode lets you join a meeting on a second screen, usually your laptop, while you're sitting in a room with the main meeting hardware. Your mic and camera are turned off to stop echo, but you can still use chat, polls, Q&A, hand raising, screen sharing and host controls.
Here's why it exists. In a hybrid meeting, people in a meeting room can't individually chat, upvote questions or answer polls using the room's hardware or a Nest Hub Max. Companion mode gives each of them their own seat at the table without five laptops feeding back into the same call.
What companion mode switches off and on
| As of October 2026 | In companion mode |
|---|---|
| Your microphone and meeting audio | Off, to avoid echoes; the room hardware handles sound |
| Your camera | Off, and your tile is hidden from the grid; you can turn on Self-View |
| Chat, polls and Q&A | On, from your own laptop |
| Raise hand | On; you show as Your Name (Companion) |
| Screen sharing | On, from the landing page or g.co/present |
| Host controls | On, if you're a host |
| Notifications | Your laptop can still play join requests and other apps' audio |
| Mobile devices | Not available |
Companion mode is available to all Google Meet participants, but some features, such as hand raising, depend on your Google Workspace edition.
Joining with companion mode
You can join from the meeting invite or with a short link:
- In the meeting invite, click Join.
- Under Other joining options, click Use Companion mode.
- Or type g.co/companion in your browser, then select a meeting or enter a meeting code.
Join at the start. Messages sent before you connect aren't included in your chat stream, so if you're planning to use chat, remind everyone in the room to connect in companion mode early. To leave companion mode and join with sound, click Leave and rejoin to use your audio.
Checking in to your meeting room
Room check-in puts your name on the participant list and on the room's tile, makes your personal video tile visible to other conference rooms, and shows your tile and room name when you raise your hand. Names on the room tile are sorted alphabetically.
- After you join, click Check-in in the pop-up.
- If there's more than one room, click Choose your room.
- Click Check-in for the room you're in.
- Already in the meeting? Click your meeting name at the bottom left, then Check-in.
From the same place you can check in to a different room or check out of your room. The check-in option only appears when a conference room is connected to your meeting. Join before the room's Google Meet hardware does and you'll get the prompt once the device joins.
Three rules worth knowing. Check-in is tied to your companion session, so if you exit companion mode you're no longer checked in. Check-in isn't verified, so someone could check in to a room they're not in, and a host can remove them with Remove from the call. And if you check in, go to a breakout room and come back, you need to check in again each time.
If the prompt never shows, the reason is usually one of these: check-in isn't available in the meeting organiser's organisation, there's no Google Meet hardware device in the meeting, the device in the meeting doesn't allow it, or it's not available on your own Workspace account.
Self-View and presenting from your laptop
If you're in a meeting room in companion mode, you can click Turn on camera at the bottom of the screen to share your personal video tile. Audio isn't shared and your tile never shows as an active speaker. Self-View is off and minimised by default, and you can apply visual effects from More options. On the room's Google Meet hardware, your Self-View only shows when you raise your hand or check in.
To present, click Present on the meeting landing page and choose what to share, or go to g.co/present and select a meeting. Presenting this way connects you in companion mode, so you'll appear twice on the People tab, once as you and once as your presentation, which lets a host pin or remove each one separately. If you need the full presenting walkthrough, here's how to share your screen on Google Meet.
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When there are 2 or more presentations, companion mode users see the active one only. If that presenter stops, the others need to resume theirs for companion users to see them.
Hosting a hybrid meeting from companion mode
- You can make laptop, mobile or companion mode participants co-hosts, set up attendance tracking and control chat, screen sharing, video and audio.
- End the call for everyone to disconnect anyone who left the room without hanging up.
- Start and stop live stream events, as long as you set them up in Google Calendar before the meeting.
- Guests who aren't signed in to a Google Account need your approval before they can connect in companion mode.
- Every companion connection and every presentation counts toward the participant limit.
- Everyone's notified when companion mode participants connect or disconnect.
Breakout rooms are the awkward part. Companion users can be assigned to breakout sessions, but they can't speak or hear in them, and you can't assign room hardware or a Nest Hub Max. Google's options are to keep in-room people in the main room, have one person per room disconnect the hardware and join on a laptop or phone with full audio and video, or set up separate meetings for the breakouts.
Using it as a second screen at your desk
You don't need to be in a meeting room. You can open companion mode on a second screen to view the presentation there, then unpin the presentation on your main screen so it shows more of the participants' video. If your microphone gives you trouble once you switch back to full audio, my guide on a Google Meet microphone that's not working walks through the fixes.
My verdict on companion mode
I'd use companion mode every time I'm in a meeting room with Meet hardware and want to chat, vote in polls or share my own screen without causing echo. I'd join it at the very start so I don't miss early messages, and I'd check in so remote people can see I'm there. Skip it on your phone, because it's not available there, and skip it if you're on your own at home: just join normally with audio and video.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my microphone off in Google Meet companion mode?
Your microphone and meeting audio are turned off in companion mode to avoid echoes. To speak or listen, use the meeting-room hardware or Nest Hub Max, or rejoin the meeting with audio.
How do I join Google Meet in companion mode?
In the meeting invite, click Join, then under Other joining options click Use Companion mode. Or type g.co/companion in your browser and select a meeting or enter a meeting code.
Can I use Google Meet companion mode on my phone?
No. Companion mode isn't available on mobile devices.
Does companion mode count toward the participant limit?
Yes. Companion mode connections and presentations each count toward the participant limit.
Why can't I see the Room check-in option?
The Room check-in option only appears when a conference room is connected to your meeting. It can also be turned off in the organiser's organisation or for the room device.
