Google Meet is adding a Zoom-like gallery layout and improving integration with Gmail as the number of videoconferences and video calls surges during the coronavirus quarantine

Javier Soltero, vice president of Google, told Reuters that the company is rolling out several new features of Google Meet ahead of schedule to meet the surge in demand for its video conferencing software The first of these features will allow users to initiate calls and join conferences directly from Gmail In addition, later this month, a gallery layout will be added that will display up to 16 meeting participants on a single screen

Gmail integration will add a Meet option to the sidebar, just like chat In addition to this and the new grid layout, Google will improve the quality of Meet videos in dimly lit areas and filter out background noise such as keyboard clicks

The Gallery View is one of the signature features of Zoom, the video conferencing software and app that many people use while at home The grid has been likened to the opening credits of The Brady Bunch; Zoom's gallery view can display up to 49 participants on a single screen This important feature has made Zoom ubiquitous on social media, with people posting images of Zoom happy hours and celebrities showing off group numbers for charity

However, Zoom's privacy and security issues have recently brought the company under fire

Google Meet is available to businesses, governments, and schools, and differs from Google Hangouts, a consumer video calling tool

With millions of people working from home, video conferencing is exploding Google announced last week that Meet has 25 times more users than in January, adding 2 million new users per day, and has over 100 million educational users in 150 countries

"With more and more people working and learning from home, we want to make it easier for everyone to connect and get things done," Google said in a statement

"With Meet in Gmail, it's easy to start or join a meeting in seconds Our goal is to allow people to seamlessly switch between email and video meetings while still being able to communicate as they go about their day

The new Gmail integration is rolling out on the web today for G Suite customers and will be rolled out to mobile at a later date Other new features, such as Gallery View, are due later this month