With remote work and online learning on the rise, video conferencing tools like Google Meet and Zoom have become essential for connecting across cities, time zones, and continents. As a seasoned Raspberry Pi user and maker with years of hands-on projects, I highly recommend building a dedicated video conferencing station. This setup delivers reliable performance for meetings, leveraging the Pi's affordability and versatility. Follow this step-by-step tutorial to turn your Raspberry Pi into a professional-grade conferencing hub.
Here's everything you'll need for a smooth setup:
Start by installing Raspberry Pi OS, the official OS that supports hardware-accelerated Chromium for optimal video performance. Other images work too, but this combo shines for conferencing.
Connect your Pi to the monitor, power it on, and boot up.
Your Pi connects to Wi-Fi via the PIXEL desktop GUI. If needed, refer to our detailed Wi-Fi setup guide.
Launch Chromium from the menu.
Join Zoom meetings directly in the browser.
No app required—Google Meet runs seamlessly in the browser. Open Chromium, navigate to Meet, sign in, and start your call.
No native ARM desktop app, but web.skype.com works perfectly: visit https://web.skype.com, log in, and join meetings.
Jitsi Meet is a fantastic free, open-source option for casual or family calls. Head to https://meet.jitsi.si/[room] in Chromium and enter directly—no account needed.
Video conferencing on Raspberry Pi is straightforward with the right peripherals and browser-based apps. Pro tip: Use a case with heatsinks and a fan to prevent thermal throttling during long sessions.
Explore more Raspberry Pi projects: booting from USB, using Pi 4 as a desktop PC, or building a NAS with OpenMediaVault.
Contents: Gather supplies | Set up your Pi | Connect to your first video meeting | Zoom | Google Meet | Skype | Jitsi
