Your tablet or foldable is about to become the perfect Google Meet sidekick

We’ve all been there: you’re in a physical conference room for a large meeting and you want to participate in the chat or raise your hand without firing up your entire laptop. While Google Meet’s Companion Mode on our phones has been a handy solution, it can feel a bit small. Well, that’s about to change in a big way, as Google is now rolling out Companion Mode support for Android tablets, iPads, and foldable devices, making these larger-screened mobile devices far more useful in a hybrid meeting setting.

Companion Mode recap

For those unfamiliar, the idea behind Companion Mode is simple but brilliant. It’s designed for when you are physically in a meeting room that already has its own dedicated audio and video hardware (like a Meet Series One room kit).

Instead of joining the call with your own audio and video on (which would create horrible echo and feedback), Companion Mode lets you join as a “companion.” This gives you a second screen to interact with the meeting without disrupting it. It’s a lightweight, discreet way to participate, especially when space is tight or you just want to quickly engage. And it’s honestly quite brilliant.

Companion Mode on your tablet or foldable

Using Companion Mode turns your tablet or foldable into the perfect personal control panel for the meeting. With it, you can:

• Check-in to the room so your name is identified.
• Share emoji reactions without interrupting the speaker.
• Raise your hand to signal you’d like to speak.
• View captions on your own screen as others talk.
• Participate in the in-call chat with other attendees.
• View and zoom in on presented content, making it easier to follow along.
• Use Meet in a split-screen view to multitask.

Important note: To prevent audio feedback, your tablet’s microphone and audio will be automatically muted when you join in Companion Mode. The feature assumes you’ll be using the main meeting room’s hardware for speaking and listening.

When you can expect it

According to Google, this feature is rolling out now. As is typical, the rollout is gradual:

• Android: Starting June 12th for Rapid Release domains and July 1st for Scheduled Release domains.
• iOS (iPad): Starting today, June 16th, for Rapid Release domains and July 7th for Scheduled Release domains.

The best part? This feature is available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and even users with personal Google accounts. It’s great to see a useful feature like this not be locked behind a specific premium tier.

This is exactly the kind of smart, practical update we love to see. It recognizes how people are actually working in hybrid environments and makes our existing devices, like tablets and foldables, even more capable and useful.