Understanding Admin Permissions in Google Meet
Google Meet does not have a standalone administrator role dedicated solely to the video conferencing tool. Instead, the ability to control Meet settings, manage co-organizers, and enforce global policies is tied to a user’s overall administrative role within the Google Workspace environment. When someone is granted an administrator permission in Google Workspace, they automatically gain access to configure Meeting settings, view logs, and modify access controls for all users. Removing this permission therefore means revoking the user’s administrative privileges at the workspace level or specifically disabling the service account through which they manage Meet. This process is handled entirely from the Google Admin Console, a centralized dashboard that governs users, groups, and security settings. Understanding the two main paths—general admin role removal and service account access revocation—is essential because the method you choose depends on how the user originally obtained their permissions.
Step-by-Step: Removing General Admin Role
The most common way someone becomes a Meet administrator is by being assigned a custom or predefined administrator role in the Google Admin Console. To revoke this permission, you must sign in to admin.google.com with a super administrator account. Once inside, navigate to the Account section and select Users and groups. Locate the user whose permissions you want to change, click on their name, and then select Edit user. Under the Roles section, you will see a list of all roles currently assigned to that person. To remove the ability to manage Meet, either select Standard user to completely strip all admin powers, or if the user needs limited access to other tools, you can remove only the specific role that includes Meet configuration rights. After saving the changes, the user will immediately lose the ability to adjust Meet settings or manage co-organizers. It is important to note that this action is reversible by a super administrator.
For organizations that have created custom roles with granular permissions, you should check which privilege within the role grants Meet control. In the Google Admin Console, go to Account, then Custom roles, and locate the role assigned to the user. Under the Privileges list, look for the Google Meet category and uncheck the relevant permissions. This method allows you to keep the user as an administrator for other services while removing only their Meet authority. The official Google Support page for managing roles provides detailed guidance, and you can access it through this link: Google Admin Console role management.
If the user was granted a super admin role, removing it follows the same procedure. Super admin accounts are powerful and should be carefully managed. After you change their role to a standard user, they will no longer have any administrative abilities, including Meet configuration. Keep in mind that a user must have at least one administrator in the domain, so you cannot demote the last super administrator.
Revoking Service Account Access
Another way that someone might appear to be a Meet administrator is through a service account. Service accounts are often used by developers or IT staff to automate Meeting settings, generate reports, or manage large-scale deployments. If a user was granted access to a service account that has Meet administrative privileges, you need to revoke their association with that service account. To do this, return to the Google Admin Console and navigate to Account, then Service Accounts. Select the specific service account that grants Meet permissions. In the Users and groups section of that service account, find the user you wish to remove and click Delete, or remove their role assignment. Once the user is no longer linked to the service account, they cannot use it to control Meet. It is also advisable to review the OAuth 2.0 scopes associated with the service account to ensure no other users have unintended access.
Here is a quick list of steps for revoking service account access:
- Open the Google Admin Console and go to Account > Service Accounts.
- Select the service account that grants Meet admin permissions.
- Click on Users and groups to view current members.
- Locate the target user and remove them from the list.
- If the service account itself should be disabled, you can delete it entirely.
- Confirm changes and test the user’s access to Meet settings.
For more detailed instructions on removing a user from a service account, refer to this article: Removing administrator permission from a Google Play account. Although the context is Google Play, the same principles apply to service account revocation across Google Workspace services.
Self-Removal: When You Are the Administrator
Sometimes the person who originally set up the Google Workspace or added themselves as an administrator later wants to step down. If you are a super administrator and wish to remove your own admin permission, you cannot simply edit your own role because that would lock you out. Instead, you must have another super administrator perform the role change for you. If you are the only super administrator, you need to promote another user to that role first, then ask that person to edit your role to standard user. Alternatively, if you are managing a Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) rather than a full Google Workspace, the process is slightly different. For Business Profile administrators, go to your profile, select People and access, find your name, and click Stop managing. This action removes your admin privilege for that specific Business Profile, which controls Meet features tied to the business listing. More information is available from the Google Business Profile help center: Managing Business Profile owners and administrators.
This self-removal option is only applicable to Business Profile scenarios, not to full Google Workspace accounts. In a Workspace context, you must rely on another super administrator to change your role. Planning for succession is crucial to avoid losing administrative control of the domain.
Important Considerations and Table of Role Differences
Before you proceed with removing admin permissions from Google Meet, consider the implications. Removing a user’s administrative role strips them of the ability to create meeting co-organizers, enforce security settings like end-to-end encryption or attendance reports, and adjust recording preferences at the domain level. It does not affect their ability to host meetings as a regular participant, nor does it delete their Google account or their existing meetings. However, any meeting configurations they set as admin will remain in place until overwritten by another admin. You should also verify that you have identified the correct user and the correct role type.
The following table summarizes the differences between the two main revocation methods:
| Revocation Method | When to Use | Effect on Meet |
|---|---|---|
| Remove general admin role | User was assigned a standard or custom admin role that includes Meet privileges | Loses ability to configure Meet settings for the domain; can still join meetings as a non-admin |
| Revoke service account access | User had access to a service account that automates Meet management | Cannot use service account to control Meet; personal admin role (if any) remains unaffected |
Using this table, you can quickly decide which path to follow. If the user was ever a super admin or had a custom role covering many Google services, the general admin role method is appropriate. If the user was only given access to a service account for automated tasks, then revoking that service account link is sufficient.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the user be notified when I remove their admin permission? By default, Google Workspace does not send an automatic notification to the user about role changes. However, you can manually inform the user after completing the change. It is also possible to enable audit logs that record the role modification.
Can I temporarily disable Meet admin permission without removing the user’s entire admin role? Yes. If you use a custom role, you can edit the role to uncheck Meet privileges while leaving other admin rights intact. Alternatively, you can assign the user a different custom role that excludes Meet control.
What if the user still has access to Meet settings after I remove their role? First, double-check that you changed the role for the correct user. Also verify that the user does not have a secondary role or a service account that still grants access. You may need to revoke all roles and then re-add only the necessary ones. If the issue persists, contact Google Workspace support.
References
Google Support – "Gerenciar funções | Admin console" – https://developers.google.cn/workspace/admin/directory/v1/guides/manage-roles?hl=pt-br
Google Support – "Como remover a permissão do administrador do meu Google play" – https://support.google.com/googleplay/thread/312620320/como-remover-a-permiss%C3%A3o-do-administrador-do-meu-google-play?hl=pt-br
Google Support – "Gerenciar proprietários e administradores do Perfil da Empresa" – https://support.google.com/business/answer/3403100?hl=pt-br
