Dear Passaic Teachers:

Have you noticed that Google Meet is running slow or freezing? Check out these three potential solutions, which may address the technical performance of Google Meet.

You can access this document live at: www.tinyurl.com/googlemeetperformance



Internet Performance

  • Ensure your home wifi has the capacity to run your Google Meets.
    • Go to google.com and search for "internet speed test".
    • Click on the blue "Run Speed Test" button.
    • Check your “Download” speed. 
    • You want your “download mbps” to be higher than the amount of participants in your Meet.  If everyone in your meeting is using standard definition each participant in a meeting will require 1mbps. Meaning a 20 person meeting will require around 20mbps of download speeds in your home for a smooth experience.

Device Performance

  • Close any applications that you will not use for your meeting.
  • In your web browser, close any extra tabs that you will not use for the meeting. 
  • Make sure you only have one Google Meet tab open. Put your device on a flat and elevated surface to prevent your device from overheating. Avoid using your device on the floor or bed for a long period of time. Overheating could cause your machine's overall performance to drop until the temperature drops down to ideal levels.
  • Ensure your device is plugged into it's charger. Battery levels affect the performance of your device.
  • Disconnect ultra-high-definition displays such as 4K televisions or monitors



 

Google Meet Settings

In Google Meet, verify that your send and receive quality is set to standard definition. Instructions

  • After a meeting starts, click More More and then Settings Settings and then Video.

  • Under Send resolution (maximum), click ‘Standard definition (360p)’.

  • Under Receive resolution (maximum), click ‘Standard definition (360p)’.

  • When sharing your screen, select "Chrome Tab" whenever possible - this gives the best quality, especially when sharing a video, like on YouTube.  Try to avoid sharing your "Entire Screen". You use the "A Window" setting when sharing relatively static information like an Excel or Powerpoint but should avoid sharing windows with video.

  • If you are a teacher using a Chromebook for your meetings, try switching your view from “Tiled” to “Spotlight”.  Tiled view takes up a huge amount of the Chromebook’s resources.  You may find that “Spotlight” view helps the Chromebook function better.

  • Don’t put another window on top of your Meet window, as window layering may cause a Chromebook or laptop to work slower. Try to instead use half screens if you need to keep a notes doc open during a Meet call. Check out the Dualless extension, which assists you in arranging tabs on your screen so you can see more.



Suggestions for Students


Ask students to check their “Device Performance”

  • Close out any extra tabs that are not needed during the class.

  • Ensure your Chromebook is on a flat, elevated surface to avoid overheating.  Don’t leave it on a bed, couch, or even your lap! That could cause it to overheat.

  • Plug your Chromebook in with the charger.


Ask students to check their “Google Meet Settings”.

  • Encourage students to use the “Spotlight” view, not the Tiled view, whenever appropriate.

  • Students can also use the Dualless extension to arrange their screen to view the Meet and their assignment at the same time.