Bad call quality on Google Meet? We’ve all been there. Any meeting app (no matter how powerful) can occasionally struggle with issues like echoes, background noise, or muffled voices. All of those factors quickly contribute to a pretty frustrating meeting.
Notably, Google has made various updates to its Meet app over the years, some of which focus specifically on improving audio and video quality. For instance, in 2021, the firm introduced a new integrated troubleshooting tool for Meet to help identify the reasons behind call issues.
Plus, in 2022, Google introduced a new “de-reverberation” feature to Meet, to reduce echo. Throughout 2023, the tech giant even introduced noise cancellation for Android devices.
Still, even with all of these upgrades, call quality problems can still happen. Here’s your guide to the easiest ways to repair quality issues.
6 Ways to Fix Bad Call Quality on Google Meet
Issues with bad call quality on Google Meet can be caused by numerous factors. Everything from improper device connections to a problematic network can derail your call. I’d definitely recommend reading through Google’s guide to audio and video settings on Meet before you start a call.
There are guides to show you how to filter noise using noise cancellation settings for android, iOS, and desktop devices. Turning those settings on should help to boost your meeting quality, giving you more of the clarity you need for crucial discussions and recorded sessions.
If you still encounter call quality issues, here are the top ways to troubleshoot and fix common problems.
1. Check for Bad Call Quality before your Meeting
Prevention is better than cure, or so they say. Before you dive into a Google Meet session, you can check your audio and video quality in advance. This a good way to quickly identify any problems that might impact your meeting. To get started, click on the link to your Google Meet session, in your email or calendar app. Don’t click “Enter the Meeting” straight away.
Click on the three dots icon in the top right-hand corner of the screen to access the Options menu, then click on Settings. You can run a quick check here to ensure you have the right devices connected (such as your microphones and speakers).
You can also click the “test” button, to hear a chime played to your headset. Plus, you can speak into your microphone, and make sure Google Meet is detecting your voice.
2. Connect to the Right Default Devices
Google Meet will usually automatically select the “default” devices for your meetings for you. Similarly to how this can lead to video and audio issues with apps like Microsoft Teams, it can lead to problems with Google Meet.
When you launch your meeting, click the three dots in the corner to see which devices have been set as your “default” peripherals. You can also tell your Windows computer to assign a specific device as your “default” for meetings. To do this, press the Windows and R keys simultaneously and search for “mmsys.cpl” when the Run utility appears.
Navigate to Recording and right-click on your microphone, then select the Enable option and select Set Default. If the right peripherals are connected, and set as “default”, consider experimenting with different microphones, speakers, and headsets to see if you get better audio quality.
This could be a good way to identify whether it’s your endpoints, rather than the Google Meet software causing bad call quality issues.
Another quick tip, if you’re struggling with a bad network connection, or a low battery on your device, changing your computer’s video quality, or switching off your camera could help.
3. Check for Permissions Issues
If you’re experiencing bad call quality on Google Meet when using a Windows 10/11 device, it could be a result of application, operating system, or browser permissions issues. Start by updating your browser to ensure you’re accessing the latest software fixes on a system like Chrome.
Next, check that you’re giving all the right apps access to your microphone and speakers. On your PC, search for Settings then select Privacy. Navigate to the Microphone option in the left-hand menu, and click on the button to adjust settings. Make sure “Microphone access for this device” is switched on. You can then scroll down to allow web and desktop apps to access the microphone.
While you’re updating your privacy settings, it’s a good idea to configure your antivirus, firewall, and other security software too. These security tools are great for protecting your privacy, but the software can interfere with Meet traffic on your app. Open your software and check that Chrome and Meet traffic can operate without interference.
4. Turn Off Your Bluetooth and VPN Software
Typically, your computer or smartphone should connect with Google Meet directly. However, if you’re using a VPN, perhaps for security purposes, this will route traffic through a separate network location. Using a VPN sometimes delays video and audio transmission to and from meeting apps.
Consider temporarily deactivating your VPN app, to see whether that fixes the bad call quality on Google Meet. Or you could speak to your IT team and ask them to change your VPN configuration, to ensure Google Meet traffic can bypass the application. This quick guide from Google shows IT teams how to “prepare networks” for Meet conversations.
Aside from switching off your VPN, I’d also recommend switching of Bluetooth on any other devices you’ve used to connect to Google Meet in the past. Sometimes, is Bluetooth is switched on, Google will automatically direct your audio to a connected device, rather than the one you’re using.
5. Use Google’s Automatic Troubleshooting Tools
As mentioned above, Google does have an automated troubleshooting solution built into Meet, that can give you insights into what’s causing call quality issues. In fact, Google should automatically display a red dot next to the “More” options button if it detects an issue.
To access the troubleshooting feature, click the three dot button when you load your Google Meet meeting, and select Troubleshooting & Help. Google will automatically display recommendations based on the issue you’re encountering.
If you’re struggling specifically with echo during your meetings, scroll down in the Troubleshooting & Help tab until you see Audio & Video Devices. Here, you’ll see instructions to help you minimize echo. The tips are pretty obvious, like telling you to use headphones or lower your speaker volume.
But there’s also a link to the option for filtering noise from your meetings with noise cancellation if you forgot to enable that earlier.
6. Check your Wi-Fi or Network Performance
Problems with your Wi-Fi or network connection can cause all kinds of issues during video and audio meetings. In fact, if you have a bad connection, your video and audio might seem fine to you, but the people you’re connecting with might see video lag, or hear distortions.
If you know your network connection isn’t always perfect, consider running an internet speed test before an important meeting. You should be looking for sufficient bandwidth for a video call, and low latency. Also, check for any “stability” issues.
If your connection isn’t great, consider switching from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz Wi-Fi, or use a wired ethernet connection. You can also consider disabling “Quality of Service” for Google Meet traffic. Some network solutions use QoS to prioritize specific types of traffic, and they may not see meeting traffic as a priority.
Fixing Bad Call Quality on Google Meet: More Quick Tips
If you’ve tried all of the fixes above, and you’re still struggling with bad call quality on Google Meet, there are a few extra quick tips you can try:
- Close other tabs and applications: Close any tabs on your browser or applications you’re not using to reduce the strain on your computing system. Too many apps running at once can cause your computer or device to struggle with meeting traffic.
- Talk to your IT team: Ask your IT team to analyze what’s going on with your Google Meet calls if you encounter regular issues. System administrators can dive deeper into call quality data using solutions like Google’s “Meet Quality Tool.”
- Use a different meeting app: Experiment with a different meeting app like Microsoft Teams or Zoom. This way, you can see whether the problem with your call quality comes from Google Meet itself or your devices, network, and other settings.
Additionally, it’s worth sending feedback to Google directly about any consistent meeting issues. This won’t fix your problem immediately, but it can inform Google of problems with its software, allowing it to fix bugs in the future. To submit feedback, open the Meet mobile app, tap on Menu, and select Send Feedback.
Eliminate Bad Call Quality on Google Meet
Bad call quality on Google Meet is a common problem for a lot of users, caused by a range of different factors. It’s not just Google Meet that encounters these issues, however. Any meeting or calling app can suffer from technical difficulties at times.
Hopefully, the steps and strategies above will help you to repair any problems you might be facing with both audio and video quality during your meetings. If not, you might need to look into updating your devices, or exploring other meeting tools.
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