Here’s the quickest way to start a Google Meet call

Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, tricks, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and more.

Back in 2018, Google introduced a super-fast way of creating a new Google Docs file from anywhere in a browser. Typing in docs.new in the URL box creates a new document. Sheets.new starts a new spreadsheet. Keep.new creates a new note. And so on and so forth.

Now you can use the same trick to start a Hangouts Google Meet call from any browser. Just type in meet.new in the URL box and you’ll immediately create a new room and be provided a URL to share with others.

The feature update was tweeted out by G Suite vice president Javier Soltero today:

Oh, and https://t.co/SwjpncUE5U works too.

You're welcome. https://t.co/nymOzf9tYn

— Javier Soltero ?? (@jsoltero) June 18, 2020

Granted, it only saves you a few seconds over going to meet.google.com and tapping ‘start a meeting,’ but my ditzy brain is always forgetting the right URL (meet.com?googlemeet.com?hangouts.com? Nope). Meet.new is easier to remember, and easier to suggest to your tech-illiterate friend who has no idea how to start a video call.

The feature update comes just a couple of days after Google embedded Meet into the Gmail app — the company is clearly ramping up its efforts to try to steal some market and mind share from Zoom.

Unfortunately, gmail.new does not work yet, but a man can dream.

Via 9to5Google