Google Meet
Google on Wednesday said it’s making its teleconferencing service, called Google Meet, free to consumers. The move takes aim at Zoom, the rival video chat service that’s become a household name during the stay-at-home era spurred by the novel coronavirus.
Previously, Meet was only available to paying customers of G Suite, Google’s line of enterprise apps that includes Gmail, Drive and Docs. Until now, anyone could join a meeting by clicking on a link, but creating a meeting required a G Suite membership.
The free version of the product requires a Google account, and video calls have a 60-minute cap. But Google said it won’t enforce that rule until after Sept. 30. The free version will also allow up to 100 participants and include features such as screen sharing and real-time captions.
How to use Google Meet, free
To sign up for the free version of Google Meet, go to the Google Meet page. Enter your name, email, country and primary use for Google Meet (personal, business, education or government). Agree to Google’s terms of service, and hit Submit. You’ll get a notification when the service is ready for you to use.
Once it’s available, here’s how to use the free version of Google Meet:
1. Go to https://meet.google.com/ (or, open the app on iOS or Android, or start a meeting from Google Calendar).
2. Click Start new meeting, or enter your meeting code.
3. Choose the Google account you want to use.
4. Click Join meeting. You’ll have the ability to add others to your meeting, too.
Learn about Google Meet on CNET:
How to use Google Meet, a free Zoom video chat rival
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-use-google-meet-a-free-zoom-video-chat-rival/
Learn about Zoom on CNET:
