In addition to first-party apps, Google Workspace wants to integrate third-party tools into a user’s existing workflow. Google Meet now has another whiteboarding option with Miro.
Update 7/13/22: As announced almost a year ago, Miro is now generally available in Google Meet. This “third-party online collaborative whiteboarding app” offers guest access that lets you “start a board and save it for up to 24 hours” without having to make a Miro account. To start, tap the “Activities” (shapes) button in the bottom-right corner of the Meet window. “Miro” will appear at the end of this list under “Add-ons”
Once you select a board, Miro launches and you’ll see all meeting participants and Meet features available in the side panel. You can chat, hand-raise, participate in polls, and use all the Meet features you love, all without having to navigate away from Miro.
Google wants Meet to come to “many of the collaboration and productivity tools that you already use.” This will happen “over the coming quarters.”
- Available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers
- Available to users with personal Google Accounts
- Not available to users with a Google Family Link Account or users under the age of 18.
Original 8/4/21: Miro offers a collaborative whiteboard that already integrates with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Shared documents can be embedded into a Miro canvas for quick viewing and editing to “visualize and manage all the pieces of a project from one shared space.” For example, you can draw connective lines between files, make sticky notes, markup with emoji, and use timer tools.
You can also save your Miro boards to Drive, and Docs, Sheets, and Slides automatically sync across both applications, so you’re always working with the latest content.
Another available integration lets you add Miro boards to Google Calendar invites so that all event participants have the necessary details to start working.
In early 2022, Miro will integrate with Google Meet to let users access a whiteboard during calls. People’s video feeds appear in a right panel with Miro appearing on the left as a “Collaboration” activity.
This is similar but slightly different to how users will soon be able to launch a Meet call directly inside their current Docs window through an identical panel UI (seen below). In opening up to third parties, Google is continuing its work of expanding Meet availability.
Miro is somewhat more productivity-focused than Google’s first-party Jamboard app, which is already integrated into Google Meet as a collaborative tool and has a big education user base.
Try the Miro app in Workspace with your existing credentials, or sign up for Workspace and Miro to start using the free versions together.
