Google Meet is a user-friendly platform for virtual classes, team meetings, and family catch-ups. But what happens when someone forgets to mute their barking dog or decides to re-enact a movie scene while you’re desperately trying to concentrate? Sometimes you just want to know how to kick people off Google Meet not as owner.
The catch is: removing participants is generally reserved for the meeting owner (or a designated co-host).
According to Statista, nearly 28% of workers found themselves in more virtual meetings in 2023 than ever before, which means these scenarios are getting more common—and more annoying.
Below are practical guidelines on what you can and cannot do to kick people off google meet not as owner – yes, even if you’re not the meeting owner. Think of them as a short survival handbook, rather than a cunning plan to stage a coup.
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Disclaimer: Understand the limitations of how to kick people off Google Meet not as owner
- No direct authority if you’re not a co-host
Google Meet’s default setting allows only the meeting host or co-host to remove participants. If you’re just a regular attendee, you cannot forcibly kick anyone out. You can, however, politely ask them to mute themselves or tone down the background noise—sometimes a little courtesy goes a long way. - Co-host privileges are your golden ticket
If the meeting owner (or a Google Workspace admin) gave you co-host privileges, you’re essentially entrusted with the powers of the host. This means you can remove participants, mute them, or adjust meeting settings.
A 2022 McKinsey report suggests that 90% of meeting disruptions could be resolved by designated co-hosts who know how to intervene quickly. If you see “host controls” in your Meet toolbar, congratulations—you’re the co-host with the power to maintain order.
Steps to kick people off Google Meet not as owner (if you have co-host status)
- Hver over their thumbnail
Move your mouse over the participant’s video or name in the participant list on the right side of your screen. - Open the options menu
You should see three dots (the universal symbol for “stuff you can do”). Click this menu. - Select “remove”
If you have co-host or host permissions, you’ll see a remove option. Click it and confirm your action. That’s it—they’re gone (from the meeting, at least).
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Tips how to kick people off Google Meet not as owner – if you don’t have co-host powers
- Request host management
Politely ask the current host if they can assign you co-host privileges. Maybe they need to step away, or perhaps they trust you to handle meeting logistics. If you’re on a business or education account, the host can find this setting in the meeting’s host controls. - Use chat or private messages
Sometimes, simply messaging the disruptive participant can solve the issue. Not everyone realizes they’re causing noise or disruption—some people genuinely have no idea that their microphone is broadcasting their toddler’s latest nursery rhyme to 20 colleagues. - Take it offline
If the host is unreachable, contact them via email or direct message. Give them a heads-up about the situation befpre you learn how to kick people off Google Meet not as owner.
According to a Zoom versus Google Meet usage comparison by Gartner (2023), direct communication often resolves minor annoyances without escalating to a removal.
Why Google Meet access control is important
Meeting access control is critical for ensuring that only authorized participants can join, helping maintain the privacy and security of shared information. By gating who enters a meeting—whether through authenticated sign-ins, invitations, or waiting rooms—organizations protect sensitive data from potential leaks and limit disruptions caused by uninvited guests.
Meeting access control also helps comply with data protection and privacy regulations, since companies often handle confidential discussions or proprietary content during virtual meetings. In industries like finance or healthcare, access control serves as an essential safeguard to meet strict compliance requirements and audit trails.
Ultimately, well-managed access control fosters trust and efficiency, keeping meetings focused on their objectives without unintended interruptions or security risks.
How Google Workspace admins can help to kick people off Google Meet not as owner
In certain organizations, Google Workspace admins can change settings at the domain level so that specific people can remove participants. This is more common in educational or corporate environments where multiple teachers or team leaders share meeting responsibilities.
If you’re dealing with persistent disruptions, it might be worth discussing policy updates with an admin to ensure co-hosts have the right permissions from the start.
READ MORE: Google Meet Security: How Secure is Google Meet?
Still need to know how to kick people off Google Meet not as owner? Think of it like being the bouncer at a party you didn’t exactly plan to host. You didn’t choose the playlist, and you definitely didn’t choose the guests.
Yet there you are, coaxing an overly enthusiastic partygoer to settle down. Sometimes, all you need is a little cooperation—and the firm conviction that, if all else fails, you have the power to show them the virtual door.
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Conclusion: Tips how to kick people off Google Meet not as owner
While Google Meet naturally limits who can remove participants, it does offer ways for the meeting owner to delegate that power. Whether you’re on the verge of pulling your hair out over someone’s unmuted mic or dealing with a more serious disruption, co-host privileges (and good communication) can save the day.
Just remember that real authority to remove participants comes from either the host controls or your organization’s admin settings!
If you find yourself regularly needing to boot people from meetings, it might be time to talk about better meeting etiquette or tighter control settings—before you start plotting how to become the official co-host of every meeting you join!

Julie Gabriel wears many hats—founder of Eyre.ai, product marketing veteran, and, most importantly, mom of two. At Eyre.ai, she’s on a mission to make communication smarter and more seamless with AI-powered tools that actually work for people (and not the other way around). With over 20 years in product marketing, Julie knows how to build solutions that not only solve problems but also resonate with users. Balancing the chaos of entrepreneurship and family life is her superpower—and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
- Julie Gabrielhttps://eyre.ai/author/eyre_admin/February 13, 2025
- Julie Gabrielhttps://eyre.ai/author/eyre_admin/February 9, 2025
- Julie Gabrielhttps://eyre.ai/author/eyre_admin/February 8, 2025