16th May 2020, Kathmandu
Earlier on April 29, Google announced that it is making Google Meet premium video meetings free for everyone.
The whole world is experiencing a drastic online shift in all sectors since the pandemic hit. People have been relying on social media platforms and videoconferencing applications to connect with each other.
The meetings that are taking place in the current scenario are the most important as they shape our way forward. Google Meet, previously hangouts, which was generally used for private webinars, online class, and business meetings is now free for all.
Google hosts Meet on its G Cloud infrastructure which also reflects its top-notch security. Obviously, you will need to have a google account in order to use it since it also integrates Gmail and Google Calendar.
You May Also Like: Google’s Digital Marketing Courses worth Millions are Now Free, Here’s How to Participate
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet, says that Google Meet has been updated with real-time subtitles and a low-light mode for better picture quality.
How to Start Using Google Meet?
To try out the Google meet for free, visit https://meet.google.com, or download its app available on both iOS and Android.
There’s another simple way to start. And, that’s signing in to your Gmail account. From today, you will notice a section in your Gmail dashboard that looks like this:
Thus, it is directly accessible from Gmail with improved support adding new features. Either way, you can start your meeting by clicking on ‘Start a meeting’ which will open a window. You can host a secure meeting on Google Meet or join a meeting.
In the window, Meet will ask for permission to allow your camera and microphone. Now click on the Join Now option and just like that, your meeting room is ready. The application will provide you a link that you can share in order to invite other participants.
Similarly, you can also do that by sending invitation over email.
Also Read: Google Meet vs Zoom: Which is the Better Video conference App?
What You Get for Free
With Google meet, you will have features such as meeting schedule, screen sharing, real-time captions, custom layout, and wide clear screen at your disposal.
Oh! Features like larger meetings (up to 250 participants), live streaming, and recording are free for G Suite customers only through September 30, 2020.
Another great thing about the free version is that it has no time limit unlike the 40-minute time limit on Zoom. However, that will change to 60 minutes for Google Meet from October.
Download Google Meet on the Play Store
Download Google Meet on the App Store