Start or join a video call from Gmail

You can start or join face-to-face video calls while in Gmail.

Want to get more out of Google apps at work or school?  Sign up for a Google Workspace trial at no charge.

Before you start your first video call

  1. Check the system requirements.
  2. When asked to use your computer's camera and microphone, click Allow.
    • In Settings, you may need to turn on permissions for your camera and microphone.

Google Workspace users (using Gmail with a work or school account)

Tip for Google Workspace administrators: to use Meet in Gmail, the Google Meet service must be turned on in Admin console. EDU users must also have the ability to create new video meetings turned on.

Start a video call

  1. Open Gmail.
  2. In the Meet section, click New meeting.
  3. To send the meeting invitation via link or email, click Send invitation. 
    • To copy the meeting invitation details, click Copy meeting invite .
    • To send an email invitation, click Share via email.
  4. When you’re ready to join the meeting, click Join now.
  5. Before you join your first meeting, make sure that you allow permissions for your microphone and camera. Once you have granted permission: 
    • To turn your microphone on or off, click Microphone Microphone.
    • To turn your camera on or off, click Camera Video call.
  6. To join the call, click Join now.
  7. To end the call, click Leave call Call end icon.

Join a video call

  1. Open Gmail.
  2. In the bottom-left corner, click My meetings  to join an upcoming video call from your calendar.
  3. Under 'My meetings', hover over the upcoming meeting that you’d like to join and then 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 view the call details or make changes.
    • If your upcoming meeting isn't in your calendar, click Join a meeting. Enter the meeting code or nickname and then click Join.
  4. Before you join your first meeting, make sure you allow permissions for your Microphone and Camera. Once you have granted permission,  
    • To turn your microphone on or off, click Microphone Microphone.
    • To turn your camera on or off, click Camera Video call.
  5. To enter the call, click Join now.
  6. To leave the call, click Leave call  Call end icon.

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 organised by Google Workspace for Education users. However, users can still dial in using a phone.

Non-Google Workspace users (Using Gmail with a personal account)

Start a video call

  1. Open Gmail.
  2. In the Meet section, click New meeting.
  3. To send the meeting invitation via link or email, click Send invitation. 
    • To copy the meeting invitation details, click Copy meeting invitation.
    • To send an email invitation, click Share via email.
  4. When you’re ready to join the meeting, click Start now. You will enter the meeting directly. 
  5. Before you join your first meeting, make sure that you allow permissions for your Microphone and Camera. Once you have granted permission, 
    • To turn your microphone on or off, click Microphone Microphone.
    • To turn your camera on or off, click Camera Video call.
  6. To enter the call, click Join now.
  7. To end the call, click Leave call Call end icon.

Join a video call

  1. Open Gmail.
  2. Click Join a meeting Input.
  3. Enter the 10-letter meeting code from the meeting organiser.
  4. Click Join.
    • Before you join the meeting, you can turn on or off your camera and microphone.
  5. To enter the call, click Join now.
  6. When you've finished, click End call Call end icon.

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.

  1. In Chat, open a direct message.
  2. At the top, click Start video call . The call opens in a small window.
  3. To end the call, click End call Call end icon.

Tip: If you want to adjust the call window:

  • To move the call to a new tab, click Move to a tab New window.
  • To move, click and hold the window.

Show or hide Google Meet in Gmail (for all users)

  1. Open Gmail.
  2. In the top right, click Settings Settings and then See all settings.
  3. At the top, choose Chat and Meet.
  4. In the 'Meet' section, make your changes.
  5. 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.

Tip: To make sure that you don't join a meeting with an expired code, and to plan better for the future meetings that you create, check when meeting codes will expire. Learn about Google Meet meeting codes.

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