(Pocket-lint) – Google will still let free Google Meet users host long meetings.
The company had a policy, which is set to expire after 30 September 2020, that extended the allowed length for calls. Now, however, with this latest change, that policy won’t expire. Free users can continue hosting longer meetings.
In a blog post published on 29 September, Google said it has been looking ahead to the holiday season:
“As we look ahead to a holiday season with less travel and important milestones like family reunions, PTA meetings and weddings hosted over video, we want to continue helping those who rely on Meet to stay in touch over the coming months. As a sign of our commitment, today we’re continuing unlimited Meet calls (up to 24 hours) in the free version through 31 March 2021 for Gmail accounts.”
Google began allowing free users to host longer calls due to the pandemic, and it has aggressively updated the service several times over the past six months to ensure it can compete with rivals such as Zoom. For instance, Google Meet can now show up to 49 people, and it has a background blur tool.
Keep in mind, come 30 September 2020, G Suite and G Suite for Education customers are will still lose a few high-level Google Meet features, like meetings with up to 250 participants and the ability to save recordings to Google Drive. For more about Google Meet and how it works check out our guides below:
Writing by Maggie Tillman.
