Google Meet expands Connect Room to all Workspace users, making conference-room join nearly one click

Google is rolling out its Connect Room feature to all Google Workspace customers that use Google Meet hardware, widening access beyond earlier availability on Rapid Release domains.

The update is designed to reduce friction when joining a meeting from a physical conference room.

Connect Room lets users start a meeting on nearby Google Meet hardware without manually entering a meeting code on the room controller. From the pre-join screen on a laptop, the usual companion-mode option switches to Connect room when a compatible device is detected.

How proximity joining works?

The feature uses ultrasound-based proximity detection, relying on the laptop microphone to pick up a high-frequency signal emitted by the room’s Meet hardware.

After connecting, the room system joins the call while the laptop moves into Companion mode for chat, captions and presenting.

Google says it has refined the experience with a room disambiguation prompt when multiple conference rooms are nearby, helping users select the correct space. The company also added on-screen guidance on the room’s touch controller to steer people away from typing codes out of habit.

Convenience, with a few caveats

Connect Room can be useful for ad-hoc meetings, such as walking into an unbooked room and quickly starting a call using the installed hardware. Google also notes that the proximity feature can be disabled from the Meet hardware controller if needed.

Because the system depends on continuous ultrasound signals, Google warns that people or animals with sensitive hearing may notice the high-pitched tones. Workspace admins and users concerned about the audio environment may prefer turning off proximity detection during certain meetings.