How to See Everyone on Google Meet

This article shows you how to see everyone at once in the Tiled or Sidebar view on Google Meet in a supported browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari).

Worried about how you look? You can blur your Google Meet background.

How to Use Google Meet's Tiled View

To see all meeting participants at once on your screen in a grid format, choose Tiled view.

1. Click the More options menu (three vertical dots) on the bottom right of the screen.

2. Select Change layout.

3. Choose the bubble next to Tiled. Use the slider to select the number of tiles to see at once.

   Note:

   With a personal Google account the default is 16 tiles, but you can choose as many as 49 tiles to accommodate the number of participants.

4. Close the Change Layout dialog box by clicking on the X in the upper right corner (or outside of the box) to view all meeting participants on your screen in a grid, as shown below.

How to Use Google Meet's Sidebar View 

Better for smaller meetings with a featured speaker, the Sidebar view shows the speaker on the main part of the screen and smaller tiles of non-speaking participants in the sidebar to the right.

1. Click the More options icon and select Change layout.

2. Select Sidebar view and close the box to view the speaker on the main part of the screen and other participants in the sidebar.

3. The sidebar appears on the right side of the chat window.

Other Google Meet Viewing Options

The two other important views to know in Google Meet help you see up to nine participants automatically or focus on the speaker.

Auto: This default mode shows the other participant if there are only two attendees or automatically arranges up to nine tiles on the screen if there are more than two participants.

Spotlight: The Spotlight setting features the active speaker on the screen and no-one else. This mode is best for meetings with one dedicated speaker when you’re not also actively participating.

Three Useful Google Meet Extensions to Know

While Google has rolled out several free enhancements to Meet, enterprise users have access to more Zoom-like features for quick changes and collaboration. If you have a free account and want a little more control without upgrading or waiting for Google Meet updates, these three add-ons can help.

Google Meet Grid View Fix

Google Meet now has its own native grid format with Tiled view, but formerly the Google Meet Grid View extension was the workaround. The Google Meet Grid View Fix is an updated version of the add-on that smooths some compatibility issues with Meet's built-in grid view.

This extension offers a handy shortcut for grid view right next to the number of meeting participants at the top right of the meeting screen. A quick click of the grid icon turns the tile mode off or on and offers some advanced viewing options. This saves you the hassle of visiting the More options menu and allows you to view more than 49 attendees at once without a business account. 

Push to Talk

In smaller routine meetings that require active feedback, it can be a hassle to manually mute and unmute your mic every time. You can use the built-in key combination, Command+D, but Google Meet Push to Talk is an add-on that offers a simple one-button shortcut with the spacebar. You also have the option of programming your own hotkey if you prefer a different button for microphone muting/unmuting.