Google Meet update crams more people into your mobile video calls

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Google Meet's group video chats have had a tile layout on large screens since the start of the pandemic, but you've had to endure a far less practical (and less egalitarian) view if you wanted to participate on your phone. No more — Google is rolling out the grid view for mobile users on iOS, with Android "coming soon." Instead of focusing primarily on one caller at a time, Meet now gives equal treatment to several participants.

 It's a relatively simple move, but it's also an important acknowledgment that video chats have changed as a result of social distancing and the shift to working from home. You're less likely to be watching a boardroom presentation and more likely to be holding running conversations with coworkers, family and friends. And with many companies making remote work a permanent option, the Google Meet changes could be helpful long after it's safe to see others in person.