Google Meet is now on the vehicle screen: CarPlay support has arrived

Google has taken a new step that expands the in-car usage experience for its online meeting platform Meet. According to the company’s statement, Google Meet can now be used on car infotainment screens of iPhone users with Apple CarPlay support. This innovation aims to enable safer participation in meetings while driving. In addition, some limitations that allow users to stay in touch without distracting from the road are also at the heart of the system.

Thanks to the new integration, the Google Meet application can be displayed directly on the vehicle screen. Users can join meetings, view their upcoming events, and engage in voice-only conversations with a single tap. Despite this, video streaming is completely disabled and the device’s camera is not used. Thus, it is aimed to protect driving safety. However, meeting audio is streamed through the vehicle speakers, making it possible for users to speak via microphone access.

Google Meet comes with limited features for in-car use

The most important element that draws attention in the in-car experience is that some features have been deliberately disabled. For example, users cannot see video footage during the meeting. In addition, interaction tools such as chat, show of hands, polls or Q&A are not supported. In addition, the absence of a preparation screen before the meeting stands out as another striking detail.

Although these limitations may seem like a deficiency for some users, Google emphasizes that the main purpose of this approach is to increase driving safety. The controls offered to the user are kept quite simple. Basic functions such as turning the microphone on and off and leaving the meeting are easily accessible. Despite this, the usage logic of the application is compatible with the experience on the mobile device.

On the other hand, Google states that this integration provides a seamless transition between the mobile device and the vehicle. The Meet application on iPhone automatically switches to “On-the-Go” mode when a vehicle connection is established. This mode offers a simpler interface by minimizing distractions while driving. In addition, automatically directing the audio transfer from the phone to the car speakers provides ease of use.

In addition to all this, a similar development is on the agenda for Android users. In the statement made by Google, it was shared that the Google Meet version with Android Auto support will be available soon. Although no exact date has been given, a similar experience is expected to be offered in the Android ecosystem.

Google Meet’s Apple CarPlay support has started to be rolled out gradually. To use this feature, the latest version of the application must be installed on the iPhone. In addition, it seems that the service is not limited to corporate users only. Google Workspace customers, individual subscribers and users with personal Google accounts can also benefit from this new feature.