In a bid to rival popular video-conferencing platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, Google Meet has finally unveiled its new portrait touch-up mode. This innovative feature allows users to apply skin-smoothing effects to enhance their appearance during video calls.
Key Takeaway
Google Meet has introduced a portrait touch-up mode, offering users the ability to apply beautifying features like complexion smoothing, under-eye lightening, and eye whitening.
Google now offers two portrait modes: “Subtle,” which provides light cosmetic adjustments, and “Smoothing,” which offers a slightly more noticeable difference to your look, according to the company’s official announcement. The portrait touch-up mode is disabled by default but can be easily enabled in the settings.
Google understands that everyone wants to feel their best, even during video calls. As the company stated in its announcement, “Whether you’ve just come back from the gym, are recovering from a cold, or are jet-lagged, portrait touch-up is available to help you feel your best.”
It comes as no surprise that the introduction of this feature was highly requested by Google Meet users. Many other video-conferencing apps have gained popularity for their beauty effects, such as virtual makeup and skin-blurring features. Microsoft Teams, for example, recently partnered with Maybelline to offer users the option of altering their appearance with digital makeup colors. However, Google Meet does not currently have a virtual makeup feature.
One drawback of the new portrait touch-up mode is that it is only available to users with premium Google accounts. Personal account users, unfortunately, do not have access to this feature. Users with premium accounts, including Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Education Plus, Google One, and Google Workspace Individual, can take full advantage of the portrait touch-up mode.
Currently, the feature is exclusively available on mobile devices, but Google plans to roll it out on the web by the end of 2023.
Aside from the portrait touch-up mode, Google is also experimenting with AI-generated backgrounds for Meet. This feature aims to provide users with a more professional look by replacing their actual background with a virtual one.
With the addition of the portrait touch-up mode, Google Meet is stepping up its game to offer a more seamless and visually appealing video-calling experience. By allowing users to present themselves in the best light possible, Google is ensuring that individuals can feel confident and focused during their video conferences.
