Productivity Hacks

Google Companion Mode: How It Works

Rodoshi

2025

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Hybrid meetings on Google Meet can get messy. Half the team’s on video, the rest are in a conference room struggling to hear what’s going on, while someone’s screen sharing, and another person’s mic is echoing like it’s 2005!!

That’s the chaos Google Meet’s Companion Mode is designed to fix. Whether you're sitting in a meeting room with colleagues or dialling in from your laptop, Companion Mode helps everyone participate more equally.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through what Companion Mode is, how to use it effectively, and why it’s an excellent addition for hybrid teams. And stick around till the end—I’ll also share a tool that makes your meetings even more productive (hint: it takes notes for you so you can just...focus).

What Is Companion Mode in Google Meet?

You can use Companion Mode to join a Google Meet call on a second device without turning on your mic or camera. It helps you avoid audio feedback, especially when you're already in a meeting room using shared hardware.

In hybrid meetings, people joining from a conference room often miss out on interactive features like chat, polls, and Q&A when using room hardware or a Nest Hub Max. That’s where Companion Mode comes in. It gives in-room participants their own way to interact without disrupting the main setup.

Here’s how it works in different scenarios:

If you’re in a meeting room: Use in-room hardware or Nest Hub Max for audio and video. Then, open Companion Mode on your laptop to access chat, reactions, polls, Q&A, and screen sharing. For the best experience, check in to the room so that:

Your name shows up with the room
Your video tile is visible to other rooms
People can see when you raise your hand

If you’re a remote participant: Join the meeting the usual way with your mic and camera on, and participate fully like you always do.

Things to Remember About Room Check-In in Companion Mode

You’ll only see the check-in option if a room device is already in the meeting. If no Google Meet hardware is connected, the check-in prompt won’t appear
Once you check in, your name shows up in the participant list and on the room’s video tile
Your connection to the room is tied to your Companion session. If you leave, you're automatically checked out
You can only check in to rooms that are live in the call. If the room device joins later, you’ll get the check-in prompt once it’s active
There’s no verification—you can check into any room. You can handle abuse by removing participants from the call
Names on the room tile are sorted alphabetically

How to Use Google Meet Companion Mode?

From computer

Join via Google calendar invite or browser:

Open your meeting invite and click Join.
Go to Other joining options.

Select Use Companion mode.

Optional: Check in to your conference room

After joining, a pop-up will appear—click Check-in
If there are multiple rooms, select the correct one and confirm your check-in

If the meeting has already started:

In Companion Mode, click your meeting name at the bottom left.
In the dialog box that appears, click Check-in.

Other options in Companion Mode:

Leave and rejoin with audio: Click Leave and rejoin if you want to turn on your mic/camera
Switch rooms: Click Check in to a different room to select another conference room
Check out: Click Check out of your room to disconnect your check-in

For Android, iPhone, and iPad

Open the Google Meet app.
Tap the video meeting from your upcoming list, or tap Join with code to enter a meeting manually.
Under your self-view, tap Use Companion mode and follow the prompts to activate Companion mode.

Once the meeting begins, you can check into your conference room using Companion Mode.

If a room is already connected:

A pop-up will confirm your room
If there are multiple rooms, you’ll be asked to choose one

To check in:

In the pop-up, tap Check-in or Choose your room.
Once checked in, your status will appear at the top right as a check mark ✔️.
Tap the check mark anytime to adjust your check-in.

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Tips for Getting the Most Out of Companion Mode

To make sure you and your team get the best experience from Companion Mode, here are a few smart habits to keep in mind:

Join with Companion Mode at the start of the meeting: Chat messages sent before you connect won’t show up once you join—so hop in early to avoid missing important context
Remind everyone in the room to connect individually: If you plan to use the chat, polls, or Q&A features, make sure each participant joins with Companion Mode on their own device. That way, everyone can contribute directly instead of relying on one person to speak for the group
Use room hardware for audio and video, Companion Mode for interaction: Let the conference room setup handle sound and camera—your laptop or tablet can handle chat, reactions, screen sharing, and more without causing echo or feedback
Mute your mic (or use headphones) when dual joining: If you’re connected through both room hardware and Companion Mode, be sure your laptop mic is off to prevent audio issues
Check in to the room for visibility: Use the Room Check-In feature to have your name and video tile appear in the room. It helps other meeting participants know who’s in the room and makes hybrid meetings more personal

Limitations of Companion Mode

❌ If your meeting relies heavily on breakout rooms, Companion Mode isn’t the best fit

❌ Companion Mode is built for people physically present in a meeting room. If you’re working from home, just join normally—you’ll get full functionality with audio and video

Bonus Tip: Pair Companion Mode with Jamie AI for Smarter Meetings

Companion Mode makes it easier to stay engaged during hybrid meetings. But keeping track of conversations can still feel like a lot. Between juggling polls, chat messages, shared screens, and in-room discussions, it’s easy to miss out on important discussion points.

That’s why it helps to have an extra set of (digital) ears in the room—and this is where Jamie comes in.

See how Jamie works:

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Jamie is an AI-powered meeting assistant that works quietly in the background to capture your meetings. Here’s what makes Jamie the perfect pairing:

1. Captures full meeting transcripts and summaries

Jamie records the meeting audio from your device, even if the device is muted as a Companion Mode participant. Then it processes the audio to generate an accurate transcript. In a few minutes, you'll receive a clean summary with key discussion points, action items, and decisions without any manual input.

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3. No Bots or interruptions

Jamie doesn’t appear in your meetings. It works in the background on your device without joining as a participant.

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4. No integrations required

Jamie works across all meeting platforms and doesn’t require any setup or plugins.

5. Built-in Executive Assistant Sidebar

During or after a meeting, press Ctrl + J to access the Sidebar where you can ask questions, draft emails, or pull past notes using Jamie AI, GPT-4, or Claude 3.5.

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6. Works online and offline

If your internet drops, Jamie saves your meeting locally and syncs once you're back online.

7. Remembers speakers automatically

Once you identify a speaker, Jamie remembers them and labels future meetings accordingly.

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8. Recognizes custom words

You can add your own words (like acronyms, client names, product names, or industry-specific terms), and Jamie will recognize and remember them for future meetings.

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9. Supports Over 100 Languages

Jamie can auto-detect and accurately summarize meetings in more than 100 languages, which makes it useful for global teams.

10. Privacy-focused and GDPR-compliant

All data is encrypted and stored in Germany. Audio is deleted after processing, and your information is never shared or used for training third-party models.

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And guess what? Jamie doesn’t hide its key features behind a paywall. You can access full transcripts, AI summaries, speaker identification, action items, unlimited storage, and all other premium features even on the free plan (capped at 10 meetings/month).

At Jamie, we believe in the power of AI, but we never lose sight of the importance of human connection. That’s why we offer personalized, timely support so you’re never stuck figuring things out alone and can get the most out of the tool from day one.

Ready to use Jamie? Get started for free—no strings attached.

Or do you want a quick walkthrough first? Book a free demo and see how it works in real time.

Need Notes from Google Meet?

Jamie offers detailed insights.

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FAQs

1. Can I use Companion Mode and regular Google Meet at the same time on the same device?
No, you can't join the same Google Meet meeting on one device in both modes. However, you can join on separate devices. One in Companion Mode (on a secondary device) and another with full audio/video (on a primary device) to share content, chat, or take notes.

2. Does Companion Mode count toward participant limit in a meeting?
Yes, Companion Mode connections and presentations each count toward the participant limit. Even in the same room, each Companion mode device is counted separately. You can verify the current number of Google Meet participants by clicking the people icon on the bottom right of the meeting window.

3. Can I use Companion Mode to present if I’m already connected through room hardware?
Yes. In-person participants can launch Companion Mode on their laptop to share the screen or join chats and polls without interfering with the meeting room hardware. The setup maintains clear audio/video while enabling interactive contribution.

4. Is Companion Mode available on mobile devices?
Yes—it's now supported on mobile devices like Android tablets, iPads, aphones, and foldable devices. Companion Mode on mobile lets you join from a second screen, with mic and camera off to avoid echo, and access chat, reactions, polls, and Q&A.

5. Can I exit Companion Mode during the meeting?
Absolutely. You can choose “Leave and rejoin” (or “Exit Companion Mode”) from the menu to switch to a regular full audio/video Google Meet meeting session. This is handy if you need to take audio control after starting in Companion Mode.

6. Is Companion Mode available for all Google Workspace users?
Yes, Companion Mode is available across most Google Workspace tiers (Business, Education, Enterprise, etc.), as well as personal accounts. Some features, like room check-in and certain in-meeting activities, may require admin capabilities or room hardware.

7. Does Companion Mode view display a separate tile in the meeting?
No. Your Companion Mode session doesn’t create an extra video tile unless you use room check-in, which shows your name and personal video tile on the shared room screen. Otherwise, you’re just listed among the Google Meet participants in the sidebar.

8. What’s the main purpose of Companion Mode for hybrid meetings?
Companion mode promotes collaboration equity—letting both remote and in-person participants access chat, polls, Q&A, reactions, captions, and more, even when the room hardware handles audio/video.

Rodoshi

Growth Content Editor

Rodoshi Das is a Growth Content Editor at Jamie. With a marketer’s mindset and a researcher’s curiosity, she crafts product-led B2B SaaS content that drives results. When she’s not brainstorming strategies, you’ll find her lost in her books, rewatching The Office for the hundredth time, or planning her itinerary for a trip to the mountains.