Unlimited free Google Meet calls will be available for a little longer than expected
Google Meet deadline extended for a second time
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
At the start of the pandemic,Googleannounced it would remove the limits on its Meetvideo conferencingservice, allowing anyone with aGmailaccount to host calls of effectively unlimited duration.
The idea was to help people keep in touch with family and friends during periods of lockdown, with face-to-face meetings no longer an option.
With Covid-19 making further lockdowns necessary across the globe, despite the vaccine rollout, the company hasannouncedit will extend the availability of unlimitedMeetcalls until June 30.
This marks the second time Google has extended the deadline. The initial agreement was that the 60-minute time limit would be reinstated on September 30 2020. This deadline was later extended to March 31 and now again, into the summer.
Google Meet extension
Although video conferencing fatigue is currently at an all-time high, more than a year since the transition toremote working, the extension of unlimited Google Meet sessions will be a relief to many.
Google was by no means the only company to offerfree access to servicesat the start of the pandemic, with players from thecollaboration,VPN,antivirusandfinanceindustries all pitching in to help.
However, many of these offers have now lapsed, leaving individuals and businesses still struggling with pandemic-related disruption in the lurch. By offering another extension, Google will hope it can relieve some of the burden.
Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
The move is also likely designed to further bolster the reputation of Google Meet, which has largely played second fiddle to rival serviceZoomduring the pandemic, despite enjoying a bumper year for growth.
Joel Khalili is the News and Features Editor at TechRadar Pro, covering cybersecurity, data privacy, cloud, AI, blockchain, internet infrastructure, 5G, data storage and computing. He’s responsible for curating our news content, as well as commissioning and producing features on the technologies that are transforming the way the world does business.
7 myths about email security everyone should stop believing
Best Usenet client of 2024
Arcane season 2 finally gave us the huge Caitlyn and Vi moment we’ve been waiting for – and its creators say ‘we couldn’t have done it in season one’
