Google Meet Places One-Hour Cap on Group Video Calls for Non-Paying Users

by

Google has brought in 60-minute group video call limits for Google Meet users with free Gmail accounts, according to recently updated support pages (via 9to5Google).

google meet
The Meet service was originally exclusive to paying G-Suite members, but "unlimited" (up to 24 hour) group calls were made available for free to all users with a Google account in April 2020, in order to see off competition from Zoom and to help mitigate the impact of the global health crisis on work and relationship patterns.

The 60-minute limit was originally scheduled to come back into effect at the end of September 2020, but Google moved the deadline to March 2021, and then again to June 30, in response to changing circumstances.

Google will continue to allow non-paying users to make one-on-one calls for as long as they want, but longer group calls will require the $7.99 monthly cost of a Google Workspace subscription for individuals.

Going forward, free Gmail account holders will get a notification at 55 minutes that their Meet group call is about to end. To extend the call, the host can upgrade their Google account. Otherwise, the call will end at 60 minutes.

Google Meet offers many of the features that have made Zoom and Microsoft Teams so popular with both business and non-business users over the last year, including video conferencing for up to 100 participants, the option to schedule meetings, and screen-sharing capabilities.

Anyone interested in using Google Meet can download the Meet iOS app from the App Store or head to meet.google.com to use the web browser version.

Tag: Google Meet

Top Rated Comments

hbt15 Avatar
hbt15
2 weeks ago

Those people all seem very happy about whatever Erin is saying
"It was this big".
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Khedron Avatar
Khedron
2 weeks ago
Those people all seem very happy about whatever Erin is saying
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Macintosh IIvx Avatar
Macintosh IIvx
2 weeks ago
I don't want to be part of any virtual meeting longer than 1 hour. We've got plenty of scientific data that shows longer meetings don't accomplish more. They're just a waste of more time.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
urnotl33t Avatar
urnotl33t
2 weeks ago
"Operator. Please insert another $7.99 for another 60 minutes."
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
himanshumodi Avatar
himanshumodi
2 weeks ago

"It was this big".

This is only until they don't develop computers powerful enough to transcode every live group meeting and use it to monetize it with adds. It will be cool. Imagine you talk about meeting for ice cream tomorrow and an ice cream ad pops up. And everyone goes... "Cool, let's go there."
Dare I imagine the ads for what Erin is saying...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
m4mario Avatar
m4mario
2 weeks ago
This is only until they don't develop computers powerful enough to transcode every live group meeting and use it to monetize it with adds. It will be cool. Imagine you talk about meeting for ice cream tomorrow and an ice cream ad pops up. And everyone goes... "Cool, let's go there."
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Top Stories

google meet

Google Meet Extends Free 'Unlimited' Calls Until June 30

Wednesday March 31, 2021 2:57 am PDT by
Google has postponed the introduction of a 60-minute call limit on free Google Meet users for a few more months, the company today announced in a tweet. The limit was originally intended to come into effect at the end of March, but it will now begin on June 30. The extension means that non-paying users of the teleconferencing service will continue to be able to host calls up to 24 hours ...
Read Full Article • 9 comments
play store google

Multiple U.S. States Sue Google for Violating Antitrust Laws With Play Store Fees

Wednesday July 7, 2021 4:01 pm PDT by
Attorneys general representing 36 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. today levied an antitrust lawsuit [PDF] against Google to challenge Google Play Store fees, reports Politico. The lawsuit was filed in California federal court and is led by Utah, North Carolina, Tennessee, New York, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, and Nebraska. The states are fighting against Google's plan to require all app...
Read Full Article • 273 comments
together mode teams

Microsoft Teams' Together Mode to Gain Support for Smaller Groups

Wednesday July 7, 2021 1:44 am PDT by
Microsoft is working to allow smaller meetings to take place in its Together Mode, which uses artificial intelligence to put multiple users in the same virtual space. Launched last year during the peak of the global health crisis, Together Mode for meetings uses AI to place everyone on a call in a shared room-like environment, like a coffee shop or an auditorium, rather than the patchwork...
Read Full Article • 49 comments
whatsapp joinable calls

WhatsApp Now Lets You Join Group Calls Even After They've Started

Tuesday July 20, 2021 12:17 am PDT by
WhatsApp has introduced a new call feature to its platform that allows you to jump into an end-to-end encrypted group call even after it has started. Previously it was only possible to join a group call in WhatsApp when the call was first made and the phone was ringing, which meant if you missed the initial notification and the group call had started, you were effectively locked out of...
Read Full Article • 14 comments
zoom pronouns

Latest Zoom Update Improves iPad Calls, Adds Custom Video Filters, Gender Pronouns, and More

Thursday June 24, 2021 4:33 am PDT by
Last month, Zoom added support for the new Center Stage feature exclusive to Apple's latest iPad Pro models, and this month the popular video conferencing app is back with another update containing several interface improvements and usability features on iOS. Notable enhancements in version 5.7.0 of the app include a better iPad "visual experience", support for individual call participants...
Read Full Article • 137 comments
UseSaveToPhotosOptionPreviewingImageInGmail

Gmail to Let Users Save Image Attachments Directly to Google Photos

Thursday May 27, 2021 3:11 am PDT by
Google is adding a new "Save to Photos" button to Gmail that, when pressed, automatically saves emailed picture attachments to Google Photos. The new feature means Gmail users will no longer have to download photo attachments from messages in order to manually back them up to Google Photos. The "Save to Photos" option will go alongside the existing "Add to Drive" button that appears when...
Read Full Article • 9 comments
Google Widgets Custom Backgrounds Feature 2

Google Working on Customizable Widgets With Custom Background and Themes

Monday June 28, 2021 6:43 am PDT by
Google introduced widgets for its iOS and iPadOS app following iOS 14 last fall. Now, Google is looking to give users more creative freedom with their widgets, allowing users to add custom backgrounds and themes. Discovered by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser, code within the Google Search app for iPhone and iPad says that users will be able to "Choose a theme to add color, Google Earth...
Read Full Article • 1 comments
apple pay contactless terminal

Australia Considers Case for Opening iPhone NFC Chip to Third Party Payment Systems

Monday July 26, 2021 5:33 am PDT by
Apple on Monday responded to questions from Australia's parliament about its third-party access approach to the NFC chip in its iPhones, following claims that its Apple Pay system is stifling innovation in the contactless payment technology space. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services heard for-and-against arguments from Apple, Google, and others relating...
Read Full Article • 127 comments
telegram video

Telegram Gains Group Video Calling and Screen Sharing Support

Monday June 28, 2021 5:24 am PDT by
Telegram Messenger gained some notable new features over the weekend, including the ability to turn group voice chats into video calls, support for screen sharing, and more. First up, Telegram is touting the new group video calling feature as bringing "voice chats to a whole new level, ready for online classes, business meetings, and family gatherings." To turn a group voice chat into a...
Read Full Article • 28 comments
play store google

Google Announces Plans to Allow Android Users to Opt-Out of Tracking Later in 2021

Friday June 4, 2021 2:38 am PDT by
Android users, later this year, will have the ability to opt-out of tracking across apps on Android devices, limiting the ability for apps to access their unique advertising ID, Google announced in a support page update (via Bloomberg). The new change, in theory, is similar to Apple's recently launched ATT, or App Tracking Transparency framework; however, it differs in direct...
Read Full Article • 53 comments