Several new features have been added to Google Meet that should make the best video conferencing app a bit more useful Some features address the general ease-of-use of the service, some are a bit more fun, and a few are a bit more "fun

Let's start with the most frivolous and obviously the most important: Google Meet will add video background replacement This is good news for teachers who would not appreciate having their students' latest meme playing on a loop

You can choose from classrooms, parties, and forests, with the promise of more in the future

One important addition is the option to control how presentations and videos are displayed I can now move my preview window away from myself, as it is distracting to look at myself when I am speaking People sharing a screen can also view the presentations of other conference participants instead of their own This is really useful and gives a visual cue as to how things are going with the audience

It wouldn't be Google without the addition of artificial intelligence The new auto-zoom feature brings your face into focus and centers it in the frame This is useful when there are a lot of participants in a meeting and they are off-center in a widescreen video The camera will track you and make sure you are always in the frame This feature is first offered to paid Google accounts It is less relevant for people using their own Gmail accounts

Google Meet will also improve control over low-light images This feature is free for everyone and will monitor your video and adjust it so that you appear brighter This feature will be added to the web client in the coming weeks

Google is also bringing to market a data saver feature that will reduce hefty usage if you're on a capped or expensive data plan According to Google, this feature is particularly relevant to certain countries with high Internet connection costs

Recent additions to Google Meet include the option to change the background image, one of Zoom's most popular features, and a very polite raise your hand button, which can capture attention without wreaking havoc on the meeting