Google Meet co-hosts share substantial meeting authority, including controls that can interrupt the whole session. Before assigning a moderator, agree on the specific job and check which features the meeting actually supports. A co-host title does not replace feature eligibility or file-sharing permissions.
Inspect the live moderation panel
After the main host grants controls, the co-host should open Host controls. With Host Management enabled, eligible hosts can apply chat, screen-sharing, audio, and video restrictions, mute participants, remove participants, and end the meeting for everyone. Use only the controls needed for the agreed role. For example, an admission moderator should not end the entire call when leaving their shift.
Understand what remains with the main host
A co-host cannot remove the original host. Google also says that, although a co-host can turn Host Management off, only the main host can turn it back on for all hosts. Keep the main host available when planning changes to that setting. Recording remains subject to the meeting’s recording entitlement and configuration; promotion is not a subscription upgrade.
Verify artifact access separately
Reports and recordings are meeting artifacts with their own delivery rules. Adding a co-host during an ongoing meeting does not automatically provide that meeting’s artifacts. Advance artifact sharing requires the organizer’s supported event configuration, and Google’s co-host sharing setting does not govern Take Notes with Gemini. Ask the file owner to check access rather than forwarding an inaccessible link repeatedly. Finally, confirm responsibilities before breakout rooms open, because Host Management changes and co-host appointments have restrictions once rooms are running. A successful handoff includes visible controls, clear responsibility, and an agreed route for requesting any resulting files.
References
Reviewed against the linked official product guidance on November 4, 2026. Features, limits, screen labels, and access can vary by account, platform, region, and organization policy.