Google Meet has long been regarded as one of the best video calling utilities out there. If you like to use Meet for frequent virtual family reunions and casual get-togethers, there are a bunch of filters you can apply to your video feed in real-time, hopefully adding humor and comic value to the call. This library of filters is always growing, and there were just a few interesting additions. However, we aren’t sure you should jump at the first opportunity to use them this holiday season.
Google’s three new filters are called loghead, strawberry, and working bunny. Per usual, they try to make meetings interesting. That said, we found the strawberry filter particularly nightmare-inducing, especially when you know how the other person looks without a filter. We don’t fancy being chased by a hungry strawberry in our sleep and cannot think of a suitable use case for this filter in any setting, either. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the working bunny filter looks quite fun.
Workspace administrators can control if users have access to these effects. By default, Workspace Education users cannot use them, but they are available to those who have an account without a school or workplace attached. Remember that applied filters and effects won’t carry forward to your next meeting, call, or breakout room session. You cannot apply them together with a virtual background either.
We cannot help but recall how Google tried something similar with Emoji Kitchen earlier this year, allowing you to combine the thumbs up emoji with various oddities like spotted mushrooms, a mermaid tail, cherries, crabs, pizza, and chopped logs. Use all the filters you like during those fun virtual parties this year, but choose wisely.