Webcams, especially the ones built-into computers, haven’t always been that great. The priority was convenience, not necessarily quality, when it came to powering video calls on your mobile machine. But times have changed: Not only can you buy high-quality webcams to connect to your computer, but some now ship with 1080p quality built-in. Now, Google Meet supports that “Full HD” quality, up from the previous 720p maximum, if you meet certain qualifications.
As specified in Google’s announcement, you need to have a webcam that records in at least 1080p video. Many externals cameras on the market meet this specification, and some even go up to 4K. However, some laptops are now shipping with 1080p webcams inside, such as the Lenovo Yoga 9i, 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros, and the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 and 3. My M1 iMac also has a 1080p webcam, so it’s not just laptops that are benefitting.
But a 1080p webcam isn’t the only requirement to accessing 1080p calls on Google Meet. Another hurdle is the call needs to be with only two users. Once you jump into a group call with three or more participants, it’s back to 720p for you. Plus, the connection needs to be able to handle the 1080p video feed: If it can’t, Google Meet will drop the resolution.
But the largest roadblock might be who actually has access to the feature. Right now, Google is only making 1080p video calls available to select Workspace plans, as well as Google One subscribers with subscriptions for 2TB of cloud storage or more. Google specified the following Workspace plans are compatible: Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Starter, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Education Plus, Enterprise Essentials, and Frontline customers.
The company also highlighted which plans aren’t compatible, including Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Nonprofits, and G Suite Basic and Business customers. It’s also not available for personal Google Accounts. That’s a bummer if your company isn’t enrolled in one of the supported Workspace plans, or if you don’t subscribe to Google One’s most expensive tier.
How to change your video quality to 1080p in Google Meet
If you meet all the requirement, fire up a call on Google Meet, then click the three dots and choose “Settings.” Under “Video,” you’ll find “Send resolution.” So long as your account and device are compatible, you’ll see the new Full high definition (1080p) option here.