Switching from Zoom to Google Meet

Switching from Zoom to Google Meet

How-To Guide · All Staff · Last updated July 2026

In This Guide

1. Why We're Switching, and What's the Same
2. How to Open Google Meet
3. Starting a New Meeting
4. Joining a Meeting
5. Using Meeting Controls (Mic, Camera, Chat)
6. Sharing Your Screen
7. Scheduling via Google Calendar
8. Quick Tips for Zoom Users
9. Getting Help

1. Why We're Switching, and What's the Same

Google Meet is built directly into our existing Google Workspace environment, the same place you use Gmail and Google Calendar. This means fewer separate apps, tighter calendar integration, and no extra licensing costs.

Here's how it compares to Zoom:

2. How to Open Google Meet

You don't need to install anything. Google Meet runs in your web browser on any computer.

Option A - Go directly to meet.google.com

1. Open Chrome, Edge, or Safari
2. Type meet.google.com in the address bar and press Enter
3. Make sure you're signed in with your Behavioral Framework account (yourname@behavioralframework.com)

Option B - Open Meet from inside Gmail

1. Open Gmail
2. Look at the left sidebar and scroll down
3. Find the Meet section, you'll see two links: New meeting and My meetings
4. Click either one to open Meet without leaving Gmail

Option C - Open Meet from Google Chat

Google Meet is also accessible directly from Google Chat. In Chat, look for the Meetings section in the left sidebar, which lets you see upcoming meetings and join with one click.

3. Starting a New Meeting

Step 1 - Click "New meeting"

1. Go to meet.google.com
2. Click the blue "New meeting" button
3. A small menu appears, choose "Start an instant meeting" to open a meeting right now

The other options in that menu are:

• "Create a meeting for later" - generates a link you can share in advance without starting the meeting yet
• "Schedule in Google Calendar" - opens Calendar to create a formal invite (see Section 7)

Step 2 - Check your camera and microphone

Before entering the meeting, you'll see a preview screen (also called the "green room") showing your camera feed.

• A red icon means that control is off (muted or camera off)
• Click any icon to toggle it on or off
• When ready, click the blue "Join now" button

Step 3 - Share the meeting link with others

Once inside the meeting, your meeting URL (e.g. meet.google.com/abc-defg-hij) is visible in the bottom-left corner. Copy it and paste into an email, Chat message, or calendar invite.

4. Joining a Meeting

Option A - Click the link in your calendar invite or email

1. Open your Google Calendar event or email invite
2. Look for the blue "Join with Google Meet" button
3. Click it, the meeting opens directly in your browser, no app needed

Option B - Enter a meeting code at meet.google.com

If someone shared a code (like abc-defg-hij) or a full Meet URL:

1. Go to meet.google.com
2. Paste the code into the "Enter a code or link" field
3. Click Join
4. You'll land on the preview screen to check your mic and camera before entering

Option C - Join from your iPhone or iPad

As of June 2026, iPhone and iPad users no longer need to install the Google Meet or Gmail app. You can join a meeting directly from Safari:

1. Tap the Meet link in your calendar invite or email
2. Safari opens the meeting automatically
3. If you don't have a Google account, simply enter your name to request entry

5. Using Meeting Controls (Mic, Camera, Chat)

Once you're in a meeting, all controls live in the bottom bar of the screen.

Chat panel

6. Sharing Your Screen

Step 1 - Click the present button

Click the present button in the bottom bar. A dialog box appears asking what you want to share.

Step 2 - Choose what to share

• Your entire screen - shows everything on your monitor. Best when switching between multiple apps during a demo.
• A window - shares only one specific application. Others won't see your desktop or other programs.
• A browser tab - shares just one browser tab. Best for a specific website or Google Doc.

Select your option and click the blue "Share" button.

Step 3 - View shared content in a separate window (new)

If someone else is sharing their screen, you can now click "Open in new window" to pop the shared content out into its own window. Useful if you need to reference it while working in another application.

Step 4 - Stop sharing when done

Click the red "Stop presenting" button at the bottom of your screen, or return to the Meet tab and click "Stop sharing."

7. Scheduling via Google Calendar

Unlike Zoom (which required a separate plugin), Google Meet is built directly into Google Calendar. A Meet link is added automatically when you create an event.

Step 1 - Create a new event

1. Go to calendar.google.com
2. Click any time slot to start a new event
3. Click "More options" to open the full event editor

Step 2 - Add a Google Meet link

1. In the event editor, click "Add Google Meet video conferencing"
2. A Meet link is instantly generated and shown on the event
3. All invited guests will automatically receive this link in their invite

Step 3 - Add guests and send

1. Add attendee names or email addresses in the Guests field
2. Click Save
3. When prompted, click "Send" to email invitations

Each attendee receives an email with a one-click "Join with Google Meet" button, exactly like a Zoom invite worked before.

8. Quick Tips for Zoom Users

• Keyboard shortcuts - Ctrl+D / ⌘+D to mute, Ctrl+E / ⌘+E to toggle camera. The modifier key is always required. Press Shift+? during a meeting to see the full shortcut list.
• Push to talk - Hold Spacebar to temporarily unmute. Release to mute again.
• Pin a participant - Hover over someone's video tile and click the pin icon to keep their video large. You can pin multiple people at once.
• Change your background - On the preview screen, click "Background and filters." During a call, click ⋮ More options → "Background and filters."
• Live captions - Press C to toggle captions at any time. No setup required.
• No waiting room by default - Behavioral Framework staff join without being admitted. External guests see a "Knock to join" prompt and must be admitted by a host.
• Joining from a phone or tablet - iPhone/iPad: join directly via Safari, no app needed. Android: download the free Google Meet app or use your mobile browser. In your car: Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support audio-only participation (video disabled in a vehicle).
• Mute a participant (hosts only) - Click People → hover over a participant → click the microphone icon.
• Speech translation (new) - Near-real-time translation on web and mobile. Click ⋮ More options → "Turn on translation." Supports English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and Italian.
• Microsoft Teams interoperability (new) - Built-in interoperability with Microsoft Teams. You may be able to join a Teams link directly from Google Meet. Contact the IT Help Desk if you need help.
• Gemini AI Meeting Notes - If your Workspace plan and IT admin settings support it, enable "Take notes for me" via ⋮ More options or the Activities panel. Gemini captures a transcript, summary, decisions, action items, and next steps, saved to a Google Doc and attached to the Calendar event.
• Ask Gemini in Meet - Look for the Ask Gemini prompt box in the bottom-left corner. Ask questions, get a running summary, or draft a follow-up message without leaving the call.

9. Getting Help

Related Articles

• How to use Google Chat for team messaging
• Setting up Google Calendar for the first time
• Troubleshooting audio and video issues in Google Meet
• Google Workspace: Your complete IT guide

Behavioral Framework IT Knowledge Base · Video Conferencing · All Staff