Google on Wednesday announced that it is making its video calling app Google Meet free to use for everyone having a Google account.
Originally launched as a premium service, restricted only to paying customers, Google has now made the app free for all users.
In light of the recent surge in demand for video conferencing apps, as well as the rapid rise of competitors like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, Google has taken this step to ensure that it doesn't fall behind rivals who are offering their services for free as well as have a paid model.
Today, we’re making Google Meet, our premium video conferencing product, free for everyone.Google Blog Post
The feature is slated to roll out to users globally in the coming days.
“Starting in early May, anyone with an email address can sign up for Meet and enjoy many of the same features available to our business and education users, such as simple scheduling and screen sharing, real-time captions, and layouts that adapt to your preference, including an expanded tiled view,” said the blog post.
Your Meet data is not used for advertising, and we don’t sell your data to third parties, says Google.
The blog post also details that free users will have a 60-minute time limit on their calls, but that limit will not be enforced until September 30, 2020.
It further adds that all Meet calls are encrypted in transit.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)