A laptop connected to Google Meet in Companion mode intentionally has no meeting microphone or speaker audio. This is useful beside a conference-room system because a second live audio connection can create feedback. Silence in this mode therefore does not, by itself, indicate a broken headset or missing browser permission.
Identify how you joined
Check whether you selected Use Companion mode from the meeting invitation or used g.co/companion. Clicking Present in the computer’s pre-join screen also joins through Companion mode. Look at the current meeting controls and any message explaining that you must leave and rejoin to use audio.
Locate the intended audio connection
In a conference room, listen and speak through the connected meeting-room hardware while using the laptop for presentation, chat, or activities. Confirm that the room system joined the same meeting and that its own volume and microphone state are appropriate. Laptop notification sounds or audio from another application may still play; hearing them does not mean the Companion session carries meeting audio.
Choose a normal connection when remote
If you are alone and need this laptop to carry the conversation, leave the Companion connection and rejoin the original meeting with full audio and video. Use the pre-join device checks before entering. Avoid keeping an additional speaker-and-microphone connection active beside a room system unless your approved room arrangement supports it. If normal joining restores sound, the result identifies the joining mode as the cause. If sound remains absent, inspect the selected speaker and microphone next. Record the mode and device you checked so the organizer does not mistake an intentional silent connection for a network outage.
References
- Fix audio issues in Google Meet
- Use Companion mode for hybrid learning & collaboration
- Present during a video meeting
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.