Google Meet (Hangouts Meet) is becoming more popular as concerns with Zoom security abound. However some basic gaps in the features of Google Meet make people think twice before ditching Zoom and moving over to Google Meet. Here are some of them.

1. Grid View Option: The default view options on the phone app and browsers is quite limited. You can view a max of 4 people on the screen of the computer unless you use a chrome extension. The speaker view is also not the best.

2. Mute and unmute all option: The mute option is one on one and not restricted to the host. So in a meeting, of multiple people are unmuted, he host or speaker has to individually mute them or keep announcing reminders for everyone to mute. The host cannot unmute anyone due to privacy reasons as per Google. This is absurd as the unmute option requires confirmation from the individual.

3. Limited share options: On its own sharing is limited to a screen or window on chrome and only entire screen on the app and some other browsers. The host can also not limit sharing to hosts only and so anyone can suddenly share their screen. There also doesn’t seem to be an option to share audio in the present now option.

4. Spotlight video: In Zoom the host could spotlight a video and this meant the speaker was always the main displayed person for everyone. I couldn’t find this option in Meet. I can pin a video but that will be only for me and not other attendees.

5. Have a co-host: Host responsibilities cannot be shared and this can be a disadvantage for larger groups.

6. Inability to end meeting: Even after the host hangs up, the people in the room can continue to chat. The only way to kick them out is to remove each one and hen hang up.

I hope Google Meet works on all these soon.