Unlimited Google Meet calls run through June
Google announced in a tweet that it will not offer a 60-minute call limit to Google Meet users for free at the end of March, and instead, the date is on June 30th.
Until then, anyone using the free version of the service will be able to host calls of up to 24 hours, which Google refers to as unlimited.
It is noteworthy that this is the second time that Google backtracked on introducing call limits since the service was opened to free users last April.
The 60-minute cap was due to come into effect at the end of September, but that deadline was later pushed back to March when it became apparent that many people would not be able to celebrate the holidays in person.
Google did not explicitly mention the reason for extending its deadline this time, but it is possible that the ongoing restrictions against the epidemic around the world have something to do with it.
Since the beginning of the Corona pandemic, Google has been pushing toward using Google Meet quickly, given the demand for video conferencing for institutions, and the company has also made Google Meet free for personal Gmail accounts.
Google said last March: Hangouts' premium features - at that time - will be free for all G Suite customers rather than restricting some capabilities to the higher (paid) levels.
This includes meetings of 250 people, internal live broadcasting, and saving of call recordings to Drive.
When Google Meet became free for regular users and was integrated with Gmail a month later, Google said: It would not impose a 60-minute period for calls until September 30, and then this deadline was extended to March 31, 2021.
Google now continues to provide the platform free of charge to all users until June 30, and according to this change, there will be no interruption in how video calls are made to consumers through Google products.
The new deadline is helping friends and families stay in touch during the pandemic, given that many people still face lockdowns and difficulties communicating with each other.
We’re continuing unlimited #GoogleMeet calls (up to 24 hours) in the free version through June 2021 for Gmail accounts → https://t.co/fqBTmoNPBW pic.twitter.com/Ax0fmbRvqr
— Google Workspace (@GoogleWorkspace) March 30, 2021