What All Google Meet Icons and Symbols Mean: Complete Guide

Ever hopped into a Google Meet and found yourself staring at a bunch of little icons, wondering what they all do? You’re not alone! Whether you’re a Meet pro or just getting started, those icons can sometimes feel like a secret language. Don’t worry, though. We’re here to break it all down for you. Let’s take a peek at what each icon means and how they can help you make the most of your Google Meet sessions.

Table of Contents

Google Meet Home Screen Symbols Meaning

You’ll notice many icons and symbols on your screen when you jump into a Google Meet on your PC. These little icons are for controlling and optimizing your video meeting experience. Let’s take a closer look at what each of them does so you can navigate your next Meet like a pro.

Pin Icon: That’s your “Pin” button. Tap it, and it’ll make whoever’s talking or whoever you want to focus on take up the main screen. Super handy when you’ve got a bunch of people in the meeting.
Apply Visual Effects (Sparkle in Profile) Icon: Hit the sparkle icon and it will let you add fun backgrounds, blur your video, or even put on some filters to enhance your meeting experience.
Menu (Three-dots) Icon: Click three-dot menu symbol to find options like “Remove this tile” (if you need to get rid of a participant’s video), “Minimize” (to make their video smaller), and “Reframe” (to adjust how their video looks).
Sound Waves (Blue Circle with Dots Moving) Icon: When you talk, you’ll see a blue circle with moving dots. That’s Google Meet showing you that your mic is picking up your voice. If you see it moving, you’re good to go.
Meeting Code (Letters at Bottom Left) Icon: That’s your meeting code. You can share it with others so they can join, or use it yourself to jump into the meeting on another device.
Microphone (Mic) Icon: The mic icon is your on/off switch for your microphone. You can tap it to mute or unmute yourself. If it’s red with a slash, your mic is off.
Camera (Video Camera) Icon: The video icon controls your camera. You can tap it to turn your video on or off. Red with a slash means your camera is off.
Captions (CC in Square Box) Icon: If you need captions then you can hit the “CC” icon. It’ll turn on live captions so you can read what everyone’s saying. Great for noisy environments or when you just want to read along.
Emoji (Smiley Emoji) Icon: If you want to react without saying a word then click the emoji icon! You can send a quick thumbs up, clap, or other reactions.
Share Screen (Up Arrow inside Rectangle) Icon: If you want to share your screen, this icon lets you share your entire screen, a window, or a tab. Perfect for presentations or showing your work.
Raise Hand (Hand) Icon: You can click the hand icon to raise your hand if you need to ask a question or say something. The meeting host will see your name below the hand icon.
Menu (Three-dots in Vertical) Icon: Another three-dot menu symbol. This one’s your main settings hub. You can click it to find options like changing your layout, turning on full screen, and adjusting your settings.
Hangup (Phone Inside Oval Red Circle) Icon: Hitting the red phone icon will end the call.
Meeting Details (“i” Inside Circle) Icon: The “i” icon gives you all the details about the meeting, including the joining link. Super handy if you need to share the link again.
People (Two Silhouettes) Icon: See how many people are in the meeting with the people icon – list of participants.
Chat Icon (Lines inside Bubble) Icon: If you want to send a message to everyone or want to see the chat then clicking that chat bubble opens the chat window.
Activities Icon (Triangle with shapes) Icon: The shapes icon opens up the “Activities” section. Here, you can find things like polls, breakout rooms, and other interactive features.
Host Controls (Lock with Profile) Icon: If you’re the host, the lock icon is your control center. Click it to manage who can share their screen, send chat messages, and more.

Audio Settings Icons Meaning

When you click that little dropdown arrow next to your microphone icon, you’ll see a few more options pop up. These are your go-to controls for tweaking your audio during a Google Meet.

Quick Audio Settings (Up Arrow with Mic) Icon: That dropdown arrow with your microphone’s name is where you pick your input device. If you’ve got multiple mics, you can switch between them here. Click the one you want to use as an input mic on Google Meet. You’ll also see a Mic with a bar next to it. Talk into your mic, and if the bar moves, you know it’s working!
Quick Speaker Settings (Up Arrow with Video) Icon: The speaker dropdown lets you choose your output device. There’s also a “Test speakers” option, so you can make sure you’re hearing everyone loud and clear.
Settings (Gear) Icon: If you want to dig a little deeper into your audio settings, then click the gear icon. It’ll open up a whole menu where you can adjust your microphone and speaker levels and even a call control option for controlling meetings using your USB device.

Video Quick Settings Icons Meaning

When you click that little dropdown arrow next to your video camera icon, you’ll see a few more options pop up. These are your quick controls for adjusting your video during a Google Meet.

Camera Dropdown (Camera Name): That dropdown arrow with your camera’s name picks your input video device. If you’ve got multiple cameras, you can switch between them here. If you have an external webcam or a different camera you would like to use, you can select it from this menu.
Apply Visual Effects (Sparkle Icon): Just like discussed before, the sparkle icon lets you add fun backgrounds, blur your video, or even put on some filters.
Settings Icon (Gear Icon): If you want to dig a little deeper into your video settings, then click the gear icon. It’ll open up a whole menu where you can adjust your camera resolution.

Layer Icon in Visual Effects

When you dive into the “Apply Visual Effects” section, you’ll notice a little icon that looks like stacked squares in the corner of some of the effects. That’s your layer icon.

Layer (Stacked Squares) Icon: This icon shows that multiple filters or effects are layered on top of each other. Think of it like stacking pancakes! And in the corner of that icon, you’ll see a small green circle with a number. That number tells you exactly how many layers you’ve got going on. So, if you see a “2,” you know you’ve got two effects combined.

It’s a quick way to keep track of all the fun stuff you’re adding to your video! You also get the option to directly remove the filter by clicking on that filter under this option and a Remove all button to remove all the filters at once.

Mic and Camera Shapes: What They Mean

When you’re in a Google Meet, you’ll see a few icons change depending on your status. Let’s take a look:

Small Mute Icon: If you’ve muted yourself, you’ll see a tiny microphone icon pop up in the top right corner of your video tile. It shows that your mic is off, so you don’t accidentally start talking to yourself!
Raised Hand Icon: When you raise your hand, you’ll see a little hand icon on the left side of your video tile. This lets everyone know you’ve got something to say. And if someone else raises their hand, you’ll see their hand icon too.

Mic and Camera Shape Change

When your microphone and camera are turned on, their icons are round. But when you turn them off, they switch to a square shape and turn bright red with a slash through them. It’s because Google has created an easy way to see at a glance if your mic or camera is active.

Yellow Icon (Building with Slash) Meaning

You might see a yellow icon pop up in your Google Meet, and it’s a heads-up about who’s in the room.

External Guest (Yellow Building with Slash) Icon: It means you have someone from outside your organization in the meeting. It’s a quick way to spot external guests. This helps you keep an eye on security, especially when you’re sharing important stuff. It’s Google Meet’s way of saying, “Hey, just so you know, there’s someone here who’s not from around here.”

And that’s a wrap on Google Meet’s icons! Now, you can jump into your next meeting knowing exactly what each button does. We hope this guide helps you make your Google Meet sessions smoother and more productive. Happy meeting!

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