Google Hangouts Meet or Meet (formerly Google Hangouts) can support up to 250 participants in a high-definition video call using G Suite for Education. Hangouts Meet is an excellent choice for both large and small businesses to conduct meetings and interact with employees or partners worldwide. Additionally, users can utilize the Hangouts Meet video calling app to host online classes, invite students, share screens, and moderate discussions based on text or audio.
Compilation of Commonly Encountered Hangouts Meet Errors
However, at times, Google Hangouts Meet may not function precisely as intended. The following article will enumerate some common Hangouts Meet errors encountered during usage along with their corresponding solutions to help you conduct smooth and stable video calls.
1. Unstable connection.
2. Dropdown menu not appearing when sharing screen.
3. Chrome browser freezing during call participation.
4. Browser freezing when screen sharing option is selected.
5. Presentation not appearing when sharing a window.
6. Audio loss when using Meet on Mac.
7. Unable to access Meet on mobile devices.
8. Unable to add phone numbers to Calendar event.
9. Sudden call disconnections.
10. Meet temporarily unavailable or encountering issues.
Commonly Encountered Hangouts Meet Errors and Their Solutions
1. Hangouts Meet Error - Unstable Connection
An essential factor causing Google Hangouts Meet to malfunction, fail to open Meet properly, is the Internet connection. If the Internet connection is slow or unreliable, Meet may not function normally. Sometimes, you may not even realize the issue until you try to use Google Hangouts Meet.
Like other video calling software, Google Meet consumes significant bandwidth, especially for video calls. Whenever hosting a video meeting or online class, ensure that you have a strong and stable Internet connection. You can use some Internet acceleration software to stabilize and enhance network signals.
- Learn more: Unable to open Meet
2. Hangouts Meet Error - Dropdown menu not appearing when sharing screen
When sharing a window in Hangouts Meet, the dropdown menus in the shared window do not appear in the meeting. To resolve this issue, share the entire screen instead of a specific window.
3. Hangouts Meet Error - Chrome browser freezing during call participation
Sometimes, you may be unable to join a video call with Hangouts Meet when using Chrome browser version M64 on Windows 7. The browser appears to attempt to join but is unsuccessful.
In this case, restart Chrome by accessing chrome://restart in the address bar before initiating the video call, and remember to upgrade to the latest Chrome version.
5. Hangouts Meet Glitch - Presentation Vanishing Act
When sharing a window in Meet, if you open a Microsoft PowerPoint or Keynote presentation in the shared window, the slideshow doesn't appear to other viewers. This happens because selecting Play or Slide Show view displays the presentation in full screen mode, and you're only sharing a window. Therefore, share the entire screen before opening a presentation in Play or Slide Show mode.
6. Hangouts Meet Glitch - Sound Gone Missing on Mac
If others can't hear you in a video call, make sure your microphone is turned on. Click on Mute to unmute your microphone.
If you're on a Mac and your microphone is enabled, but others still can't hear you, try the following methods. In some cases, Mac settings may prevent Meet from using your computer's microphone.
- Go to system device settings and make sure the microphone isn't turned off.
- At the bottom of the Meet window, click on Mute to unmute the microphone in the application.
- On macOS Mojave 10.14 and above, you must allow Chrome and Firefox to access your computer's microphone through new security settings. Otherwise, Meet won't include audio from your device.
+ Navigate to System Preferences > Security & Privacy.
+ Select Privacy > Microphone.
+ Checkmark the application used for Meet (Chrome or Firefox).
- In Chrome, go to chrome://restart to restart Chrome and reset all applications as well as Chrome extensions.
- Restart your computer.
7. Hangouts Meet Glitch - Unable to Access Meet on Mobile Devices
Each version of the Meet mobile app is supported for 6 months after release. You need to upgrade Meet to the latest version if an older version of the app is installed on your device.
8. Unable to Add Phone Number to Existing Calendar Event After Upgrading to G Suite Enterprise
After upgrading to G Suite Enterprise, existing calendar events with Meet video calls do not include phone numbers. To add a phone number, remove the meeting from the event, save the event, and re-add that phone number to the video call.
9. Hangouts Meet Glitch - Abrupt Call Disconnection
Hangouts Meet supports dial-in phone calls for up to 8 hours. The actual maximum call duration may be shorter if there are specific restrictions from the carrier. Therefore, check your network connection or redo the video call if the call is disconnected after 8 hours.
10. Meet Temporarily Unavailable or Experiencing Issues
If Meet is unavailable or you encounter issues such as poor video quality, call joining problems, or other performance issues, check the G Suite Status Dashboard to see if there are any issues with the Meet service.
- Green icon - Hangouts Meet is operating normally.
- Red or yellow icon - Meet is temporarily unavailable or experiencing issues. Try the following troubleshooting steps to communicate until Meet returns to normal operation.
10.1. Record Your Meetings or Lectures
If Meet isn't working, use another screen recording app to capture the meeting or lecture on your computer. Then, share the file with colleagues or classmates.
If Meet is working for you but others are experiencing issues, you can record the meeting or lecture in Meet, even if others aren't participating. Ask your G Suite administrator to ensure Meet recording feature is enabled for your organization. Wait for the recording file to be created and saved in the Meet Recordings folder of the organizer's My Drive. An email with the recording link is also sent to the meeting organizer and the person who started the recording.
10.2. Live Meeting Streaming Error in Meet
You can organize a live stream of the meeting or online class, even if other interactive features aren't working. Livestream allows you to broadcast the meeting to a group of colleagues or students in real-time.
Only guests within your organization can view livestreams from your organization. Note that administrators need to enable the livestream feature. The meeting organizer must also create an additional view-only event for the live broadcast.
Here are the top 10 Hangouts Meet issues commonly encountered, so refer to them for troubleshooting. If you're not familiar with using this software effectively, check out how to install and use Hangout Meet here.