Google Meet can detect when you raise hands during calls
Google Meet is making group video calls more interactive with a new feature that detects when a participant raises their hand physically, eliminating the need to click the "hand raise" button on the screen. This makes it simpler for users to ask questions or signal they want to speak during a meeting. The feature is currently being rolled out to Google Workspace business and education users.
How the hand raise gesture works
To use the feature, users must first enable it from their Google Meet settings by going to More Options>Reactions>Hand Raise Gesture. For the feature to work, the camera must be turned on, and the user's hand should be clearly visible, away from their face and body. When a participant raises their hand, a progress bar appears on the screen. Once that progress bar loads, a hand-raised icon pops up in their video window, notifying the meeting host and other attendees.
The feature is not triggered when the user is speaking
The gesture detection feature in Google Meet is designed to be context-sensitive. It won't be triggered when the user is actively speaking but will resume once they've finished talking. This ensures that participants can easily ask follow-up questions or join the discussion without accidentally activating the hand-raise feature while still speaking. The rollout is expected to take several weeks before reaching all eligible users.
