Using Google Meet directly from Sheets Docs & Slides

In this post, we’re going to look at how we can quickly access Google Meet directly from Google Sheets, Docs, and Slides. From April 2022, Google added the ability to open a Meet directly from a Sheet, etc and where the Meet will then appear in the sidebar, allowing you to collaborate on the document with others whilst being on a call with them.

I’m going to concentrate on using it from Google Sheets, but the same applies to Docs and Slides.

In a Sheets file, click on the Meet icon, next to the Share icon.

You have 3 options:

• Start a scheduled Meet (if there’s one programmed)
• Start a new Meet
• Join a Meet via a meeting code

Joining a scheduled Meet

Click on one of the upcoming meetings.

This will open the sidebar and you will see a little Meet video. You can turn your microphone and video on and off here prior to joining.

To join the Meet just click “Join the call”.

Now, you’re in the Meet. Wasn’t that quick and easy? It saves you leaving the current tab and either going to Meet or your calendar to open the Meet.

You have the option to copy the Meet link to share with others if necessary.

At the bottom of the sidebar, you have the Meet essential controls.

Clicking on the options icon (3 dots), you can see you have access to more functions. Again, the most common ones.

If you want to remove the Meet from the sidebar and have it as a small, floating window, click on the Picture-in-picture icon at the top of the sidebar.

You can move this to wherever is convenient within the window. To add it back to the sidebar, click on it to dock it.

You also have the option to move the Meet to its own tab, like a normal Meet session. Click on the Pop out icon at the top of the sidebar.

If you want to move it back to the sidebar, from the document you started the Meet from, click on the Meet icon and click “Bring the call here”.

Presenting the file

To present the file you’re in, click on the present arrow icon on the toolbar at the bottom of the sidebar.

One nice feature here, is that the first option by default is to share the current tab, i.e. the file you started the Meet from. If you’re like me, and have loads of tabs open, this save you hunting for the right tab to present.

Note, if you try to choose one of the other options, Other tab, Window, Entire screen, you’ll see an error message, as that’s not possible when doing it directly from a file, as the whole point of this is to share a specific document in a tab.

The presented screen appears in the sidebar, which is nice as it reminds you what you’re presenting and what the others are seeing.

The screen to the left of the sidebar will be the document itself, so you can clearly go through it and edit it.

The Meet icon changes to the Meet sound icon when you’re presenting to show you that you are sharing this file.

To stop presenting, either click on the present icon, now showing a cross.

Or click on “You are presenting” and click “Stop presenting”.

Presenting a file if already in a Meet

If you are already in a Meet and want to present the screen, you can do that by clicking on “Just present this tab”. That will present it as normal in Meet.

Turning the audio off

You can turn off any audio coming from that tab.

Joining a Meet via a code

If the Meet isn’t on your calendar, you can join it via the meeting code. Click on “Use a meeting code”.

Type in /Paste in the code and click “Continue”.

Starting a new meeting

From the Meet icon, you can also start a Meet by clicking on “Start a new meeting”.

This will open a new Meet and give you the option to copy the meeting code to share with others.

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As you can see it’s quick and easy to use and great for when you want to presentation one document and have a discussion around that. It could be an agenda, an action plan, or a document you’re editing together.

If you’re going to be presenting other documents, I would use the normal presenting to allow you to quickly change tabs you’re presenting, as this doesn’t allow you to do that.

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