Google Nest Hub Max just gained this long-overdue feature

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"Hey Google, make a group call."

(Image credit: Google)

Video chats on the Google Nest Hub Max will no longer be limited to 1:1 calls. Google announced that users will soon be able to use Google Assistant to launch group video calls and get in touch with multiple people at once.

Starting today, users will be able to begin and join group video chats with both Duo and Google Meet on the Hub Max. Until now, the Google Nest Hub Max, one of the best smart speakers around, only supported two-way video calls, which could be limiting in a time when many are opting to socialize online rather than in-person.

In fact, today's new feature is entirely focused on staying in touch with family, friends and colleagues alike. When you say, "Hey Google, make a group call," your Assistant can initiate a video conference with any of your Duo groups.

Similarly, saying "Hey Google, join my next meeting," or "start a meeting," will initiate Google Meet and let you connect with up to 100 people at once. Whether you want to take your next afternoon meeting while making lunch or host a workout class without hooking up a webcam, Meet integration should prove a welcome Nest Hub Max upgrade. Duo group video calling is also available on third-party Google Assistant displays, including the JBL Link View and Lenovo Smart Display.

Non-G Suite Meet users and Google Duo users can start trying out group chats on their Nest Hub Max now.

G Suite admins can also apply for a beta testing program on behalf of their domains that would let users host work meetings from a personal Nest Hub Max. This could be useful for the influx of people working from home.

In the last few months we've seen best video chat apps like Zoom and Microsoft Teams grow their support group calls. While Google Duo and Google Meet have received some upgrades, they've only benefited desktop and mobile users.

But with its new multi-user video chat abilities, the Nest Hub Max is one of the best Google Home compatible devices you can get now.

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Kate Kozuch
Kate Kozuch

Kate Kozuch is the managing editor of social and video at Tom’s Guide. She writes about smartwatches, TVs, audio devices, and some cooking appliances, too. Kate appears on Fox News to talk tech trends and runs the Tom's Guide TikTok account, which you should be following if you don't already. When she’s not filming tech videos, you can find her taking up a new sport, mastering the NYT Crossword or channeling her inner celebrity chef.