It’s tough out there. The number of apps available for video conferencing just seems to keep rising. But some of them stand out more than others. Amongst these is Google’s own app, Google Meet. In a first to do so, Google Meet has introduced AI-powered noise cancellation for its meetings! Here is everything you need to know about it.

How does the new Noise Cancellation feature work

Ok, let’s start off by saying that this is the first time a video conferencing app has done this. Google Meet is rolling out its new AI-powered noise cancellation feature, and it is quite impressive. The feature uses machine learning to distinguish human voice from background noise.

While other apps already have background noise suppression, they are limited to what they know (like keystrokes on a keyboard, fan noises, etc.). However, Google Meet’s noise cancellation works by identifying your voice and then getting rid of everything that doesn’t match it.

How to enable Noise cancellation on Google Meet

Google has made it very simple to enable this new feature. You can enable Noise Cancellation before a meeting or even while you are in one.

To enable Noise Cancellation from your home page, go to Settings by clicking on the cog in the top right corner.

Now under ‘Audio’ simply toggle ‘Noise cancellation’ on.

To enable the setting while in a meeting, tap the three dots in the bottom right corner and select ‘Settings’. Now under ‘Audio’ toggle ‘Noise cancellation’ on.

Why don’t I have Noise Cancellation

Currently, the Noise Cancellation feature is only rolling out to G Suite Enterprise and G Suite Enterprise for Education users. Additionally, the feature will first be made available on the Google Meet web client, before it becomes available for mobile devices.

Google has not yet disclosed when Noise Cancellation will be made available to Personal Google accounts.

What does Noise Cancellation sound like

While there is no visual representation that noise cancellation is active, you should be able to distinctly hear a difference in the sound. If you do not yet have Noise cancellation on your account, check out this video that clearly shows the difference between original sound and sound with the Noise Cancellation feature enabled.

Link: Google Meet’s noise cancellation feature in action

The new feature is set to dampen everything from door slams to dogs barking, and even children playing outside! This is because, in addition to matching to the human voice, the feature gauges the distance of the source from your microphone. So even if there are voices in the background, the Noise Cancellation feature should be able to dampen them.

We hope to see this feature made available to Personal Google account users soon. But for now, this is an impressive step forward in sound suppression for virtual meetings. Have you tried the new Noise Cancellation feature yet? What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments below.

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Image Credits: Venture Beat