PulseUsing speaker labels in Google Meet
Installing the extension and setting the permissions needed to capture speaker names in Google Meet.
With speaker labels enabled for Google Meet, each passage of the transcript is tagged with the display name from Google Meet. Setting this up requires the browser extension. This article covers installation, checking it works, and what to do when it does not. How it works and the limits of identification are covered in Speaker labels.
Speaker labels for Google Meet are available in the desktop app on macOS and Windows. The Pulse browser extension (free) is required.
What you need first
- the macOS or Windows desktop app (updated to the latest version)
- a Google Meet meeting opened in a supported browser — Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Arc, Brave, or another Chrome- or Chromium-based browser
- the Pulse browser extension, installed in the browser profile you use for Google Meet
Identification happens through the browser extension. While Pulse is transcribing a Google Meet meeting, the extension reads the participant names and speaking indicator shown on Google Meet's screen and matches them against each section of the transcript. There is no processing that infers who someone is from voiceprints or audio characteristics, and the extension records no audio or video.
Setup steps
Open the desktop app
Check it has updated to the latest version. If the display does not refresh, press Cmd+R on macOS or Ctrl+R on Windows to reload manually.
Open the speaker labels setting
Settings > Preferences and choose Speaker labels under “Features”.
Open the extension page
Google Meet row, choose Install browser extension. The Pulse extension's page on the Chrome Web Store opens in your browser.
Add it to the profile you use for Google Meet
Extensions are installed per browser profile. If the browser asks you to choose or switch profile, select the profile you use for Google Meet before installing.
Check the connection
Go back to Pulse. Once the extension is detected, the Google Meet row changes to enabled. Speaker labels work from the moment it connects; there is no separate on/off switch.
- Settings > Preferences > Speaker labels shows the Google Meet row as enabled
- the extension is present in the browser profile you open Google Meet with
- participant display names appear in the transcript of a meeting recorded after setup
Before publishing, replace this with a link to the Pulse extension's page on the Chrome Web Store and the real extension ID.
The Google Meet and Zoom rows side by side, each showing its connection status.
Using it in a meeting
Start a Google Meet meeting in a supported browser and begin transcribing in Pulse as usual. Where Google Meet can identify who is speaking, that participant's display name appears above their speech in the transcript. Your own speech is tagged with the display name you use in Google Meet.
Because speaker labels work only while transcription is running, names are never added retrospectively to a transcript recorded before setup. What can be identified, and how to think about telling participants, are covered in Speaker labels.
If something is not working
Q. I cannot find “Speaker labels” in settings
A. “Speaker labels” is under “Features” in Settings > Preferences. If it is not shown there, check the following in order.
- Check that Pulse has updated to the latest version.
- Press Cmd+R on macOS or Ctrl+R on Windows to reload the screen.
- Open Settings > Preferences again.
Q. I installed the extension but it still says “not connected”
A. Check the following in order.
- Check the desktop app is running. The extension is only detected while the app is running.
- Check which browser profile you installed the extension in. Extensions are installed per profile.
- Switch to that profile and open a Google Meet page.
- Settings > Preferences > Speaker labels and wait for the status to change to enabled.
- If it still shows as not connected, quit Pulse and the browser, then open them again and retry.
If you use a browser managed by your company, extension installation may be restricted by your administrator. In that case, ask IT to distribute it using the steps in Setting up speaker labels across your organisation (for admins).
Q. Transcription works but no speaker names appear
A. Check the following.
- The meeting was held in Google Meet, opened in a supported browser. Speaker labels do not work in other meeting tools or unsupported browsers.
- Settings > Preferences > Speaker labels shows the Google Meet row as enabled.
- That transcript was recorded after you set speaker labels up.
Some passages may have no speaker name — for example where several people are speaking from a shared machine in a meeting room. The situations are listed under “What can and cannot be identified” in Speaker labels.
Q. The speaker name shown is wrong
A. Speaker labels use the participant name Google Meet displays, as-is. If a participant has set a display name that is not their real name, that display name becomes the speaker name. Correct a wrong name by editing the note directly, or tell chat to replace it.