Can Participants Hear Your Phone Call in a Google Meet While You’re On a Call?

When you're in a Google Meet on your cell phone and you attempt to make a phone call to someone else, you might wonder if the participants in the Google Meet can hear your conversation on the call. The answer to this question depends on your phone's settings, the app you are using, and your user settings. Let's explore the typical behavior and what you can do to ensure privacy and avoid any issues.

Call Audio Routing

Most smartphones are designed to prioritize the phone call audio over other apps. When you make a phone call, the audio from the Google Meet may be muted or temporarily paused to provide clear audio for the call. This is a common behavior across most smartphones and apps, but keep in mind that other factors can influence this behavior.

Microphone Access

If your phone allows both the call and Google Meet to access the microphone simultaneously, there is a possibility that the other participants in the Google Meet could hear your conversation. However, this is less common due to the design of most smartphones. Modern smartphones often conflict between active calls and background apps to ensure a clear and uninterrupted call experience.

For example, if you’re connected via Mobile Data, the Google Meet connection might suspend for the duration of the network call. Similarly, if you’re using Wi-Fi, the Google Meet might continue to run in the background, but any ongoing audio or video streams may be temporarily paused to prevent interference.

User Settings

Depending on the settings on your phone and the Google Meet app, it is possible that you can control whether the app behaves as described above. For instance, some phones have settings that allow for simultaneous audio from different sources. If your phone settings are configured to allow audio from both the Google Meet and the phone call to overlap, the other participants in the Google Meet might hear parts of your conversation, especially if you don't mute your microphone in the Google Meet.

To avoid any potential issues, it is best to mute your microphone in Google Meet before making a phone call. This ensures that the other participants do not hear your phone conversation and helps to maintain a seamless experience for everyone involved.

Alternatives

Another option is to simply use your cell phone for the call and not interrupt the Google Meet session. If the call is brief, you might even consider ending the Google Meet to avoid any potential audio overlap.

Summary

While there are cases where the other participants in a Google Meet might hear your phone call, it is generally not advisable to make a phone call during a Google Meet without muting your microphone. This can lead to accidental audio overlap and a disrupted meeting experience for everyone involved. Moreover, muting your microphone is a simple and effective way to ensure privacy and maintain professionalism.

It’s also worth noting that the behavior can vary depending on the device and app settings. Always test your setup beforehand to ensure a smooth experience. Furthermore, Google continuously updates its apps to enhance functionality and user experience, so checking the latest features and updates can be beneficial.