Google has recently introduced a new hand gesture recognition feature in Google Meet, designed to make virtual meetings more interactive and intuitive. Announced earlier in March, this AI-driven functionality can detect when a participant raises their hand, automatically activating a hand raise icon to signal the host that the participant wishes to speak.
For the feature to work effectively, Google specifies that your hand must be clearly visible to the camera and not obscured by your face or body. You might need to hold your hand up for a brief period to activate the gesture detection. Once recognized, the hand raise icon will display in your video feed, and you will be shifted to the main grid, making it easier for moderators to notice your request to contribute.
This hand gesture detection is available in most Google Meet Workspace plans, though it is not enabled by default. Users can activate it in the settings. To avoid accidental triggers, the feature is automatically disabled for those who are actively speaking, preventing the hand raise icon from appearing every time someone gestures while talking.