Google has rolled out two new features for two of its apps that users should find incredibly useful. The new features are for Google Meet and Google Duo and they improve how you use both apps.
For Google Meet, users will now be able to blur their backgrounds during video calls. When you turn it on, it blurs your background in a similar fashion as a photo taken in portrait mode. The feature has been available on some other video calling apps such as Skype, and it comes in handy seeing as most folks are working from home these days and there are times your apartment is untidy or you have objects in the background.
Google says the feature is available for only devices with 4 cores and higher that support hyper-threading. Unfortunately, it is not available on Chromebooks and mobile devices. Google says ChromeOS and mobile apps will get it later.
To blur your background, you can do it right in a meeting or before a meeting. When in a meeting, all you have to do is click the More button at the bottom right and turn on background blur. To turn it on before a meeting, go to meet.google.com, select the meeting, at the bottom right of self-view, click turn o background blur and then join now.
Google says those having issues using background effects can turn on hardware acceleration. To do this, open Chrome > Settings (top left corner) > System > use hardware acceleration when available.
Google Duo
For Google Duo, you will now be able to share your screen with friends and loved ones. So if you need to browse photos or plan activities, this should be easier to do and should eliminate the need to send screenshots.
Share more moments with your friends on Google Duo.
Now you can use screen-sharing to browse photos and videos together, and plan activities all while on a video call. pic.twitter.com/6LivivvqlO
— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) September 15, 2020
This feature is available for all Duo users.
UP NEXT: Google Duo is now available for Android TV
