Pinning a participant in Google Meet keeps that person in your selected view instead of relying only on the changing active-speaker layout. Choose the personal pin option when you want to organize your own screen. Host-controlled pinning for everyone is a separate action with a wider effect.
Pin a visible participant
Hover over the intended participant’s tile and click Pin. When Meet offers a scope choice, choose For myself only. Check the name before confirming, especially when a presentation tile and a person share a similar label. The result should keep the selected participant visible in your meeting view.
Find a participant outside the layout
Open People and locate the connected participant. Beside their name, choose More actions, then Pin to the screen, and select the personal scope. Google allows up to six participant or presentation items to be pinned personally. If you reach the limit, review existing pins rather than assuming another person cannot be pinned at all.
Check mode and purpose
Google documents pinning for connections with full audio and video, not Companion mode. If the option is unavailable there, decide whether a normal connection is appropriate for your room arrangement before changing modes. Personal pinning does not promote the participant to host or prove their microphone is active. Use Unpin when you no longer need the fixed view, then inspect the underlying layout. If an interpreter and shared content both matter, select the relevant items deliberately instead of pinning every visible participant. Confirm the resulting tile sizes remain useful, since additional pins divide the available display area and can make fine details harder to see.
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.