Make Meet calls with Google Meet

Important: Legacy calls upgrade to Meet calls, which have expanded features like live captions, in-call chat, stackable effects, cloud encryption, screen sharing, and more.

As users move over to Meet calling, some legacy calling features are being upgraded. A few features, like Family mode, Moments, and Knock Knock, are no longer available.

To use the new calling experience, update your Meet app to the latest version.

When all parties in the call use the latest version of Meet with the update, an in-app prompt explains that they're now using the new calling experience. Otherwise, the call defaults to the legacy calling experience. Once all users have the updated Meet app, legacy calling is no longer accessible.

Learn about the transition from legacy calls to the new Meet call experience.

Meet calls include the latest enterprise-compliant Meet features

Learn about admin controls for Workspace users

In addition to Meet access controls, admins can also restrict who can make Meet calls to their users.

If you want to set call restrictions for users in your organization to prevent them from receiving calls:

(Default) Users receive calls only from contacts and other users in the organization.
Users can receive calls from anyone.
Users can’t receive calls.

If you want to restrict users in your organization from placing calls, the following options are available:

Turn off Meet's call creation ability to prevent your users from placing calls and starting meetings, but they can continue to receive calls or join meetings created by others.
Mobile Device Management (MDM) to turn off calling with Google Meet for devices deployed to your organization.

Note: These settings affect only Google Meet calling, not legacy calling or calling in Google Chat. These settings also do not affect the ability to join meetings. Restrictions set in Access can further limit the calls that users can receive. Learn more about how to turn off legacy calling.

Before you begin:

On your Android device, open the Meet app .
Select your signed-in Google Account.

Add & verify your phone number

To let people reach you through your phone number in Meet and other Google services, add and verify your phone number. Learn how your phone number is used.

On your Android device, open the Meet app .
Tap your Profile picture Add your phone number.
You can either:
- Select the phone number you want to make and receive Meet calls with.
- Add a new number.
Tip: If you have multiple phone numbers, you can choose one to be your primary number for outgoing call.
Tap Continue.

If the number you select is:

Associated with a Google Account: It’s automatically verified.
Not associated with a Google Account: It receives a code. Carrier text message rates can apply.

Enter the code you receive.
If there’s an issue, learn how to verify your phone number.

Manage your primary phone number

You can change your primary phone number or add additional phone numbers. To be reachable through your phone number in Google Meet and other Google services, you'll need to add and verify it.

On your Android device, open the Meet app .
Tap your Profile picture.
Tap Manage your phone numbers.
Under “Pick your primary phone number,” select from the list of phone numbers or tap Add a new number Continue.
Tap Done.

Call someone on Google Meet

On your Android device, open the Meet app .
Sign in to your Business, Education, or personal account.
Tap New.
- You can also tap Search contacts.
Enter a name.
Select a contact from the suggestions.
- If the message “You’re calling someone who can’t receive calls. Share a Meet link instead.” shows:
  - To share the link, tap Create and share a link.
    - You can copy the link or tap Share.
      - This occurs if someone hasn’t opened their Meet app to receive the update.
- If the message “Can’t complete this call.” shows:
  - To help them get the latest version, tap Share the link. This occurs if the person you’re trying to call uses an outdated Meet app.
- If the message “This is a legacy call” shows:
  - You're in an organization that allows legacy calling.
  - Both you and the contact are signed up for legacy calling.
  - The contact hasn’t updated their Meet app yet.
- If a contact doesn't show:
  1. Tap your Profile picture.
  2. Switch to your other account.
Tap Call.

Customize your call

Before you join a call from the precall screen, you can:

Mute or unmute your audio.
Turn your video on or off.
Change the phone number you use for the outgoing call, if you have multiple phone numbers.

Turn on Additional Encryption

On your Android device, open the Meet app .
Select a call you want to join.
In the pre-call screen, turn on Additional Encryption.
- Learn about Additional Encryption.

Add special effects, backgrounds & filters

Learn how to change background & apply visual effects in Google Meet.

Check contact info & history

To find a contact’s information or get your history with a contact:

Tap the contact’s name.
At the top right, tap Menu View details.

Check what you share in calls

If you call with Google Meet, the recipient finds this info from your Google Account:

Name
Email
Phone number

Limit how others can contact you

If you don’t want people to reach you through your phone number, remove it from your account.

On your Android device, open the Google Meet app .
Tap your Profile picture Manage your Google Account Personal info.
Under “Contact info,” tap Phone.
Select the phone number that you don’t want Google Apps to reach.
Turn off Better sharing on Google.

Make Group calls

Important: You can no longer make legacy group calls with existing groups. Select the contacts you want to include in new Meet group calls.

On your Android device, open the Meet app .
Tap New Group call.
In the search bar, search and select up to 31 contacts you want to group call.
- If you tap on a contact that can’t receive Meet calls, you’ll find a brief message:
  "[contact name] can only join via a link. Share a Meet link with them once the call is started."
Tap Next and either:
- Tap Call.
  1. The call rings for users who can receive Meet calls.
  2. Once inside the call, for any contacts you added to the group that can't receive a Meet call, you have the option to tap Share link.
    1. They can join through the Meet link you shared.
- Tap Create and share a link.
  1. This option shows if all of the contacts you added to the Group aren’t eligible to receive a Meet call ring. You can share a Meet link for them to join instead.
    1. Copy the link or tap Share.
    2. Tap Join.
    3. Wait for others to join the call through the link you shared.

Tips:

Group calls are saved in history as a list of contacts that were in the call, unless a contact joined through a shared link. You can’t name these groups.
You can’t add or remove users from the saved item in history, but you can start a new Group call with the users you want to call.

Ring someone to join into an ongoing meeting or call

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Meet app .
Join a meeting or call.
To find the controls, tap the screen.
At the top left, tap the Header Add people .
Select a contact or enter a phone number.
Tap Call.

The "Add people" icon is not available in certain situations:

If "Host management" is turned on in a meeting and you aren’t the host.
If client-side encryption or additional encryption is in use.
If you join as a guest and aren’t logged in.
If you can’t call because of meeting restrictions.

Block or report someone

Important: You can "Block" or "Report abuse and block" a call.

On your Android device, open the Google Meet app .
In the search bar, enter the name you want to block.
From the suggestions, select the user’s name.
At the top right, tap Contact options View details.
Select an option:
- Tap Report abuse.
  1. In the box that appears, to select the abuse type, tap the Down arrow .
  2. Check the box next to “Block.”
  3. Tap Submit.
- Tap Block contact.
  1. If applicable, check the box next to "Report as spam."
  2. Tap Block.

Unblock someone

On your Android device, open the Google Meet app .
At the top left, tap Open navigation menu Settings Blocked users.
Next to the account or phone number you want to unblock, tap Unblock .