As the world adapts to working and socializing remotely, video conferencing platforms are jostling for position. Google Meet may have just nudged its way to the top by announcing it will now be available on smartphones through Gmail.
Making its product free was the first step in overtaking Zoom, a video conferencing platform with free and paid options. Zoom users who don’t wish to pay for a subscription can have 40-minute meetings with up to 100 participants and unlimited one-on-one meetings. Users who opt for paid Zoom plans get stronger encrypting to keep their meetings secure. Zoom paid plans start at $14.99 per month and go up from there.
In April, Google announced it would integrate Meet with Gmail and make it free to all Gmail users. On May 12, Google completed the integration, but it was still limited to online and desktops, not through smartphones.
Today, the integration is ready for Android and iOS devices. Mobile Gmail users will find a Meet tab when they open their Gmail app. Clicking on the tab will allow you to do everything you can currently do online, such as start a new meeting, schedule a meeting, see who’s in the call and check your video.
Gmail users who don’t wish to use Google Meets can jump into their settings page and disable the function so the tab disappears.
