You can start or join face-to-face video calls while in Gmail.
Before you start your first video call
- Check the system requirements.
- When asked to use your computer's camera and microphone, click Allow.
- In Settings, you might need to turn on permissions for your camera and microphone.
Google Workspace users with a work or school account
Start a video call
- Open Gmail.
- In the Meet section, click New meeting.
- To send the meeting invite via link or email, click Send invite.
- To copy the meeting invite details, click Copy meeting invite .
- To send an email invite, click Share via email.
- When you’re ready to join the meeting, click Join now.
- Before you join your first meeting, make sure to allow permissions for your microphone and camera. Once you grant permission:
- To turn your microphone on or off, click Microphone .
- To turn your camera on or off, click Camera .
- To join the call, click Join now.
- To end the call, click Leave call .
Join a video call
- Open Gmail.
- In the bottom left corner, click My meetings to join a video call that is upcoming on your calendar.
- Under “My Meetings,” hover over the upcoming meeting you’d like to join click Join.
Tips:- Only meetings scheduled in Google calendar will show up under “My Meetings.”
- You can click on any of your upcoming meetings to find call details or make changes.
- If your upcoming meeting isn't on your calendar, click Join a meeting. Enter the meeting code or nickname click Join.
- Before you join your first meeting, make sure to allow permissions for your Microphone and Camera. Once you have granted permission,
- To turn your microphone on or off, click Microphone .
- To turn your camera on or off, click Camera .
- To enter the call, click Join now.
- To leave the call, click Leave call .
Google Workspace for Education users
If you have an Education edition account and your school type is Primary/Secondary education (K-12), you will not be allowed to join Google Meet video calls created by personal Google Accounts.
Anonymous users, or users not signed in to a Google Account, will not be able to join meetings organized by Google Workspace for Education users. However, users can still dial in using a phone.
Using Gmail with a personal account
Start a video call
- Open Gmail.
- In the Meet section, click New meeting.
- To send the meeting invite via link or email, click Send invite.
- To copy the meeting invite details, click Copy meeting invite.
- To send an email invite, click Share via email.
- When you’re ready to join the meeting, click Start Now. You will enter the meeting directly.
- Before you join your first meeting, make sure to allow permissions for your Microphone and Camera. Once you have granted permission,
- To turn your microphone on or off, click Microphone .
- To turn your camera on or off, click Camera .
- To enter the call, click Join now.
- To end the call, click Leave call .
Join a video call
- Open Gmail.
- Click Join a meeting .
- Enter the 10-letter meeting code from the meeting organizer.
- Click Join.
- Before you join the meeting, you can turn your camera and microphone on or off.
- To enter the call, click Join now.
- When you're done, click End call .
You can also join a meeting from a Calendar event or the Google Meet app. Learn about other ways to start or join a meeting.
Call someone directly from Chat or Gmail
Important: You can call someone directly from Chat or Gmail in Chrome. If you make a call to a non-Chrome user, they can receive and join the call but they won't hear a ring.
You can start a voice or video meeting from Chat or Gmail. When the other person receives the call, they’ll hear a ring.
- In Chat, open a direct message.
- At the top, click Start video call . The call opens in a small window.
- To end the call, click End call .
Tip: If you want to adjust the call window:
- To move the call to a new tab, click Move to a tab .
- To move, click and hold the window.
- Open Gmail.
- In the top right, click Settings See all settings.
- At the top, choose Chat and Meet.
- In the "Meet" section, make your changes.
- At the bottom, click Save Changes.
Important: Google Workspace users might not have this setting in their Gmail account if their Google Workspace Admins have the video calling service disabled from the Admin console.