Google will not limit Meet calls, extends offer till 2021
Google is extending its unlimited access offer for Meet video conferencing service. The promotional offer was supposed to expire on September 30 (today!), but the internet giant has issued a statement saying that it will continue it for a few more months to let people stay connected. Here is all you need to know about it.
Google made Meet free for everyone in April
Originally, Google Meet was exclusive to paying G Suite customers. Then, in April, the company decided to open the platform, allowing anyone with a Google account to access the service for free and have virtual meetings with up to 100 participants, without any restriction. The goal behind the move was to make sure people keep working, studying remotely in a COVID-19-hit world.
But, the offer had some important caveats
Though Google Meet became free, the offer did have some important caveats. First, the company said that the ability to have conferences that could last any amount of time would be taken away with a 60-minute capping by the end of September. Then, it did not offer access to all advanced features, which were kept restricted only to paying G Suite customers.
Now, Google has given an extension
Given that the ability to have unlimited calls was on the verge of expiring and people were starting to look for alternatives, Google has extended its offer for free users. Under this, all non-paying users will be able to continue using Meet for unlimited calls (up to 24 hours) until March 31, 2021. Everything else in the offering remains unchanged.
We want to continue helping, says Google
"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," said Samir Pradhan, Google Meet's product manager.
Google has been improving Meet to take on Zoom
From the perspective of business, the move makes sense for Google. The company has spent recent months to update Meet with handy features (including 49-person tiled view, background blur, and noise cancellation) and take on the likes of Microsoft Teams and Zoom. Now, imposing the 60-minute restriction would have meant throwing it all away and letting the drawn users go.
