Google Meet's hand raise feature just got a lot more real
The new tool might feel a bit reminiscent of your school days.
Asking a question on Google Meet is getting a little more interactive. Google is rolling out a new gesture detection feature that lets you physically raise your hand to alert the group that you have a question versus clicking the raise hand button. Sure, it's a minor thing, but after a long day sitting online, some movement doesn't hurt.
The gesture detection feature works as long as your camera is on and your hand is clearly visible in the shot — Google recommends distancing it from your face and body. Hold it there momentarily while it recognizes that your hand is raised and alerts other participants. Yes, you may feel like you're back in school, but who doesn't love some nostalgia?
Don't worry if you're an animated talker, waving your hands all over the place. Google Meet should deactivate gesture detection anytime you're an active speaker, only turning it back on once you're a silent participant again. While admins have no control over the feature, you can turn it off anytime by going to More Options, then clicking Reactions and Hand Raise Gesture. We all love to wave as the meeting is ending, so if that regularly triggers it, then you might want to turn it off.
Gesture detection should roll out to Rapid Release domains in the next few days. Scheduled Release domains will experience a gradual rollout over the course of 15 days, starting on November 28. The feature is available across most Google Meet Workspace plans, including Business Standard and Plus, Education Plus and individual subscribers.
