Hybrid meetings are supposed to feel fair. In reality, they often don’t.
People in a meeting room end up sharing one camera, one mic, and one set of controls, while remote participants get their own screens, chat, captions, and all the buttons. Companion mode is Google’s way of fixing that imbalance.
In this article, you’ll learn what is companion mode in Google Meet, how Google Meet companion mode works in real life, how to activate companion mode on different devices, what it can (and can’t) do, and the best ways to use it in hybrid meetings without creating echo, confusion, or duplicate tiles.
Along the way, we’ll cover practical details like room check-in, participant limit, and how Companion Mode behaves across multiple devices. We’ll also show you how it fits into a modern meeting workflow where notes and follow-ups actually get done.
What is Companion Mode in Google Meet?
Google Meet Companion Mode is a way to join a Google Meet call from a personal device (like a laptop, tablet, or phone) while keeping your device’s audio and video muted by default to prevent audio feedback.
It’s built for situations where:
- You’re in the same room as other people (a conference room or classroom)
- The room is already connected using meeting room hardware
- You still want to access meeting tools like meeting chat, reactions, Q&A, or screen sharing
That’s why you’ll often hear it described as joining on a second screen. The room system handles the “big” audio/video experience, while each attendee can still interact individually.
Google also frames this as improving collaboration equity, making sure in-room and remote attendees have comparable access to meeting tools.
When you should use Companion Mode
Companion Mode is most helpful when these three things are true:
1. You’re in a room with shared audio/video
If your meeting is already running through meeting room hardware (for example, Google Meet hardware in a room kit), joining normally from your laptop can create echo and confusion.
Google explicitly uses proximity detection and ultrasound signals in some setups to guide users toward Companion Mode in a room, so they don’t accidentally join with full audio.
2. You still want access to interactive features
In-room attendees often need the same controls remote people have, like:
- Exchange chat messages in the meeting chat
- Raise hand or reactions
- Open polls/Q&A
- Enable captions for accessibility
Companion Mode is designed to keep those tools available for meeting room participants and other in-person participants.
3. You want your name connected to the room tile
With room check-in, your name can appear on the conference room tile (the room tile) in the call, so other people can tell who’s participating from inside the room.
Where MeetGeek fits in with Companion Mode
Companion Mode makes participation fairer, but it also spreads the meeting experience across multiple devices:
- The meeting room hardware handles the main camera and microphone
- In-room attendees use laptops, tablets, or a mobile phone to send chat messages and reactions
- Someone presents from a second screen using screen sharing
- Questions, links, and clarifications appear in chat
- Decisions happen verbally, often without a clear written record
This setup works well during the meeting, but it’s also where clarity often breaks down afterward.
Important context is split between spoken conversation, chat messages, and shared screens. When the call ends, people remember different things, action items aren’t always clear, and follow-ups depend on who took notes, if anyone did.
This is where MeetGeek fits naturally alongside Google Meet Companion Mode.
MeetGeek joins the Google Meet meeting as an AI participant and captures the meeting as a whole, not just one device or one perspective.
Specifically, MeetGeek helps by:
- Automatically transcribing the full conversation, including discussions that happen through the room microphone, so spoken decisions aren’t lost just because they weren’t typed in chat
- Identifying key moments, such as decisions, questions, and action items, even when those moments happen during screen sharing or while multiple people are interacting through Companion Mode
- Structuring meeting summaries, so outcomes are clear for both remote attendees and meeting room participants, regardless of how they joined
- Keeping chat context connected to the conversation, so links, clarifications, and side questions don’t live separately from the main discussion
- Creating a searchable knowledge base that everyone can refer back to, which is especially useful in meetings with many companion mode participants, like town halls, standups, training sessions, or workshops
In short, Companion Mode ensures everyone can participate during the call. MeetGeek ensures the meeting still makes sense after the call.
Instead of relying on memory, screenshots, or scattered notes across devices, teams leave with a clear, searchable summary of what was said, what was decided, and what needs to happen next, even when the meeting itself was spread across a room system, laptops, tablets, and phones.
How Companion Mode works under the hood
When you join a Google Meet in Companion Mode, you’re still joining the same video meeting, just in a “lightweight” way:
- Your Companion Mode device joins as a participant connection
- Your microphone and camera are muted by default to prevent echo
- You can still use access features like chat, reactions, captions, and presenting
- Your tile behavior is different from a full join: the room camera remains the primary view for in-room presence
Google notes that Companion Mode connections count toward participant limits, and join/leave notifications still apply.
In other words: it’s not “view-only.” It’s active participation without duplicating room audio.
Key features you get in Companion Mode
Here are the key features most teams actually use day-to-day:
1. Chat messages and live interaction
You can send and read chat messages, reply to questions, and share links without interrupting the room speaker.
This is especially helpful in large meetings where one person is the active speaker, but many people still want to contribute quietly.
2. Screen sharing and presenting from your device
Companion Mode is a clean way to present from your own laptop without hijacking the room setup.
This matters in hybrid rooms because passing cables around or switching presenters on the room system can be awkward. With Companion Mode, one person can keep the room audio stable while another person uses screen sharing from their personal device.
3. Captions and accessibility features
Companion Mode supports personal captions, which is huge for accessibility and comprehension. Google’s guidance for Companion Mode highlights that you can use it to participate in hybrid learning/collaboration and access features like captions on your own device.
4. Room check-in and identity on the room tile
When room check-in is available, your name appears on the room tile and in the participant list, helping other participants identify who’s in the room.
5. Works across more device types now
Companion Mode is available on phones, tablets, and foldables in supported setups. Google Workspace Updates announced Companion Mode support expanding to Apple iPads, Android tablets, and foldable devices.
How to activate Companion Mode in Google Meet
There are multiple ways to access companion mode, depending on your device and how you join.
Option 1: Use a meeting invite (email or Google Calendar)
This is the most common path for a scheduled meeting.
- Open the meeting invite in Gmail or your Google Calendar
- Click the meeting link
- On the pre-join screen (the “green room”), choose use companion mode
- Join the meeting
Google’s Help Center walks through Companion Mode joining from upcoming meetings and from invites, including where the “Use Companion mode” button appears under your self-view on mobile.
Option 2: Join with a meeting code
If you don’t have the link handy:
- Open Google Meet
- Enter the meeting code
- Select Companion Mode (or “Use Companion mode”) before you join
Option 3: Use g.co/companion (quick path)
Many teams use g.co/companion as a quick entry point to Companion Mode (especially on laptops in conference rooms). Google has referenced joining companion mode via meet.google.com and g.co/companion in Workspace updates.
Option 4: Join from the Google Meet app (mobile)
On the Google Meet app:
- Open the Meet app
- Pick from upcoming meetings (or enter a code)
- Under your self-view, tap Use Companion mode
- Join
Google explicitly notes Companion Mode availability on Android devices like phones, tablets, and foldable devices from the Meet app. And it has expanded to iPads and Android tablets/foldables in Google Workspace announcements.
Proximity detection and automatic room check-in
If you’ve ever noticed Google Meet “nudging” you toward Companion Mode in a conference room, that’s not random. Google Meet can detect that you’re in a room using an ultrasonic signal from the room hardware and then surfaces a “Use Companion mode” option to help avoid echo.
Google also announced automatic room check-in via ultrasound proximity detection, which reduces steps for checking in when you join in a room with certified hardware. This is why Companion Mode often feels “built into the room experience,” not just a separate join option.
Companion Mode in practice: what to do in the room
Here’s the cleanest setup for hybrid rooms:
If you’re using meeting room hardware (recommended)
- The room system joins the call and handles full audio and video
- Each person in the room joins with Companion Mode on their own device
- People use Companion Mode to:
- send chat
- raise hand
- react
- turn on captions
- present from their laptop when needed
This keeps the meeting stable for remote attendees while giving in-room people full control.
If you don’t have room hardware
You can still use Companion Mode in a room, but you need a “primary” device handling audio. For example:
- One laptop connects normally for room audio
- Everyone else joins Companion Mode to avoid echo
Limitations to know before you rely on Companion Mode
Companion Mode is powerful, but it isn’t identical to a normal join.
Participant limit and companion mode count
Companion Mode connections count toward your meeting’s participant limit. Google explicitly states that Companion mode connections and presentations count toward participant limits. So yes, companion mode count matters, especially for large town halls where many people in a room might also join on their own devices.
Join/leave notifications still happen
People can see when Companion Mode users join and leave.
Host controls aren’t always the same
A meeting host can still use Companion Mode, but for some workflows (like managing large breakout rooms or advanced participant management), it may be easier to switch to a full join on a laptop.
Tile behavior can differ
Companion Mode is designed to avoid visual clutter and prevent duplicate room audio/video. The room camera stays dominant. Your personal video tile behavior may differ from a standard join, and you typically won’t become the meeting’s main visible camera the way a full-join device does.
Tips to get the most out of Companion Mode
- Use the same account across devices: If you’re joining from a laptop, tablet, or mobile phone, make sure you’re signed in with the same account. This keeps your presence, permissions, and meeting features consistent across devices.
- Pick a single device for presenting: When presenting from Companion Mode, keep the meeting room system stable for audio and video, and use one clear presenter device for screen sharing. This avoids confusion and accidental interruptions.
- Use chat intentionally: Companion Mode makes it easy to exchange chat messages throughout the meeting. In larger meetings, it helps to agree on a few simple norms:
- Use chat for links, references, and clarifying questions
- Summarize decisions verbally so they’re clear for remote attendees and captured in the main conversation
- Turn on captions when needed: Captions are one of the most useful accessibility features in Companion Mode. You can enable captions on your personal device without changing what’s shown on the room screen, making it easier to follow along without disrupting others.
Troubleshooting Companion Mode issues
“I can’t see the Use Companion mode option.”
Try these:
- Make sure you’re on the latest Google Meet app (mobile)
- Try Chrome on desktop
- If you’re joining from an invite, open the meeting link again and check the pre-join screen
“We’re getting an echo anyway.”
Echo almost always means more than one device is handling audio.
Fix:
- Ensure only the room system (or one primary device) is using the microphone/speakers
- All other companion mode participants should stay muted
“Room check-in isn’t showing.”
Room check-in only appears when the room is actually connected to the meeting, and availability can depend on admin and device setup. Google notes room check-in appears when a conference room is connected to your meeting.
How to exit Companion Mode
To exit companion mode, click or tap Leave on that device and rejoin normally if you need full audio.
Remember: leaving Companion Mode can remove your room check-in association, so if you rejoin, you may need to check in again.
Final thoughts
Companion Mode is one of those features that seems small until you use it in a busy conference room, and suddenly, hybrid meetings feel less awkward.
It gives meeting room participants the ability to interact like remote attendees, without turning the room into an echo chamber. It supports collaboration equity, reduces friction around chat and presenting, and makes it easier for everyone to use the same meeting tools in the same call.
If your meetings still feel messy after the call ends, that’s the next layer to fix: capturing decisions, action items, and follow-up context. Companion Mode makes participation easier. Try MeetGeek for free and ensure the meeting outcomes don’t disappear once everyone clicks Leave.
Frequently asked questions
Does Companion Mode count toward the participant limit?
Yes. In Google Meet, each Companion Mode connection counts toward the total participant limit, just like a regular participant. This applies even though audio and video are muted by default to prevent echo. Companion Mode joins appear as a separate participant entry, helping Google manage capacity fairly in hybrid meetings.
Can I use Companion Mode on mobile devices?
Yes. Companion Mode is available on mobile devices, including smartphones, and is supported on Android and iOS tablets as well as foldable devices for eligible Google Workspace accounts. This allows in-room participants to join from a personal device and access interactive meeting features without using full audio or video.
Will other participants know I’m using Companion Mode?
Yes. Other participants can see Companion Mode users in the meeting participant list, and standard join and leave notifications still apply. Companion Mode connections appear as separate entries, making it clear who is participating from a secondary device during the meeting.
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