If you run or work at a small or mid-sized business, there’s a good chance you spend too much time wrestling with virtual meetings. Tech hiccups. People late or lost. Audio that sounds like it’s underwater. It’s a pain. If you’re considering Gotomeeting as your meeting tool—or you’re stuck using it already—here’s a real look at the features that actually help teams like yours stay sane and productive.
This isn’t a fluffy list of every bell and whistle. It’s a hands-on guide to what works, what’s just OK, and what you can probably skip.
Why Gotomeeting? (And Who Should Care)
Gotomeeting isn’t the flashiest video conferencing tool around, but it’s been around since the early days and it’s kept things pretty focused: reliable meetings with as little fuss as possible. If you’re running a small to medium business, you don’t have time for endless onboarding or troubleshooting. You want to click a link and get on with your day.
Gotomeeting is best for:
- Teams that need reliable, no-nonsense meetings
- Businesses that work with clients who aren’t tech-savvy
- Anyone tired of “just one more update” breaking their video calls
If you’re looking for a virtual whiteboard with AI sticky notes, you’ll want to look elsewhere. If you want your calls to start on time and just work, keep reading.
1. Simple Scheduling and Join Options
There’s nothing more frustrating than sending out a meeting invite and watching half your team fumble around trying to join. Gotomeeting tries to cut through that.
What Works
- Calendar Integration: You can plug Gotomeeting into Outlook or Google Calendar. Schedule directly from your calendar without juggling tabs.
- One-click Join Links: No sign-in hoops for guests. Click the link, enter your name, and you’re in.
- Dial-in Numbers: If someone’s WiFi is acting up, they can join by phone. Gotomeeting gives you a decent list of dial-in numbers, including international ones.
What’s Just OK
- Mobile Apps: The mobile experience is fine, not great. It works in a pinch, but video and screen sharing can lag on older phones.
- Recurring Meetings: Setting up a weekly team call is straightforward, but editing recurring meetings is clunky. You’ll get there, but expect a couple of clicks too many.
Pro Tip: If you have a regular crew, save your meeting rooms as “Personal Meeting Rooms” so you don’t have to resend invites every time.
2. Reliable Audio and Video (Mostly)
Look, no video platform is perfect. But Gotomeeting gets the basics right more often than not.
What Works
- Stable Audio: Even on spotty connections, audio tends to hold up. Background noise suppression is decent, not magic, but it helps.
- HD Video: Video is crisp if you’ve got the bandwidth. No weird filters or auto-beauty modes, just a clear picture.
What’s Just OK
- Webcam Controls: You can turn cameras on/off easily, but there’s not much in the way of virtual backgrounds or blurring. If you want to hide your messy kitchen, you’ll need to get creative.
What to Ignore
- “Advanced” Settings: There are a bunch of audio/video tweaks buried in menus. Unless you’re an AV geek, you can skip them.
Pro Tip: Always do a quick audio check before your first meeting of the day. Gotomeeting has a “preview” window for this—use it.
3. Screen Sharing That Doesn’t Make You Want to Scream
Screen sharing is where a lot of platforms fall apart. Gotomeeting keeps it simple:
What Works
- Fast Screen Sharing: Share your whole screen or just a specific app window. Transitions are smooth and lag is minimal.
- Give Keyboard/Mouse Control: You can let someone else take control of your screen. Handy for IT troubleshooting or live collaboration.
What’s Just OK
- Annotation Tools: You can draw on the screen or highlight stuff, but the tools feel a bit dated. They get the job done, but don’t expect a digital art studio.
What to Ignore
- Whiteboard: Yes, Gotomeeting has a whiteboard tool. It’s very basic. If your team actually needs a whiteboard, you’re better off using a separate app and sharing your screen.
Pro Tip: If you share sensitive info, use “app window” sharing—not your full desktop. Nobody needs to see your Slack notifications.
4. In-Meeting Collaboration Features
Meetings shouldn’t be one-way lectures. Gotomeeting covers the essentials, but don’t expect miracles.
What Works
- Chat: There’s a built-in chat for links, questions, or side conversations. You can message everyone or just one person.
- File Sharing: Drag and drop small files (like a PDF or image) right into the meeting. It’s quick and saves a few follow-up emails.
What’s Just OK
- Meeting Notes: Gotomeeting lets you take notes during a call, but it’s pretty barebones. You’re better off using Google Docs or Notion if you want something shareable and organized.
What to Ignore
- Polls and Hand-Raising: These features exist, but they’re clunky. If you need interactive meetings (like webinars), there are better platforms for that.
5. Recording and Transcriptions
Sometimes you need a record of what was said—whether for folks who missed the meeting or just to cover your own back.
What Works
- One-Click Recording: Record audio, video, and screenshares with a single button. Files are saved to the cloud (or locally, if you prefer).
- Transcriptions: Gotomeeting auto-generates a transcript of your meeting. It’s not perfect, but it’s good enough to quickly find a quote or action item.
What’s Just OK
- Searchable Transcripts: You can search the transcript for keywords, but the UI is a bit clunky.
What to Ignore
- Auto-Share: By default, Gotomeeting can email everyone a recording. Double-check your settings—sometimes you don’t want every call shared automatically.
Pro Tip: Let people know you’re recording, both for legal reasons and basic courtesy.
6. Security and Privacy
If you deal with client info, you can’t afford slip-ups. Gotomeeting isn’t the Fort Knox of video calls, but it beats a lot of consumer-grade apps.
What Works
- Meeting Locks: Once everyone’s in, you can “lock” the room so nobody else can join.
- Password Protection: Set a password for sensitive meetings.
What’s Just OK
- Waiting Room: There’s a lobby where attendees wait if you’re not ready to start. It’s functional, but not customizable.
What to Ignore
- End-to-End Encryption: Gotomeeting encrypts data in transit, but it’s not full end-to-end encryption. For most small businesses, this is fine. If you’re handling top-secret data, you’ll want something more secure.
7. Admin Controls and Analytics
Most small businesses don’t need a full-blown IT admin dashboard. Gotomeeting keeps things simple, which is mostly a good thing.
What Works
- User Management: Add or remove users, reset passwords, assign meeting organizers. It’s straightforward.
- Usage Reports: See who’s using their licenses and how often meetings are happening.
What’s Just OK
- Advanced Analytics: If you want deep insights into engagement or participation, you’ll be disappointed. Reports are basic.
What Gotomeeting Doesn’t Do (And What You Probably Don’t Need)
Every meeting platform has a feature list a mile long. Here’s what Gotomeeting doesn’t focus on—and honestly, you’ll survive:
- AI Meeting Assistants: No automatic summaries or smart follow-ups. That’s a bummer if you’re into shiny new things, but most teams don’t use these for day-to-day meetings anyway.
- Fancy Breakout Rooms: Gotomeeting has basic breakout functionality, but if you’re running workshops or classrooms, look elsewhere.
- Integrated Task Management: You’ll still need your project management tool.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Virtual meetings don’t need to be complicated. Gotomeeting focuses on reliable basics: easy scheduling, solid audio/video, and sharing tools that work. If you’re a small or medium business, that’s usually all you need. Don’t get sucked into the feature trap—pick the tools your team actually uses, ignore the rest, and tweak as you go. If Gotomeeting helps you spend less time fighting with tech and more time getting things done, that’s a win.