Google Meet has introduced a one-hour cap on group video calls for those who use the service without paying. The new restriction, outlined in an updated support document, does not apply to one-on-one calls.
Google Meet has proven incredibly popular during the pandemic, giving schools and businesses an easy and affordable way to keep in touch with students and workers when they cannot meet in person.
But for those who had been relying on Meet for group video meetings, there’s bad news. You’ll now need to cough up to use the service, or keep your conversations to under one hour.
Google Meet introduces new restrictions
If you’re using Google Meet for free, there’s now a 60-minute limit on group meetings with three or more people. At 55 minutes, everyone receives a notification that warns them the call will soon end.
“To extend the call, the host can upgrade their Google account,” Google explains. “Otherwise, the call will end at 60 minutes.”
One-on-one calls can last up to 24 hours for free users. Upgrading to a paid account, starting at $7.99 a month, removes all limits for up to 100 call participants. Other plans will allow more participants.
The one-hour restriction on group calls was supposed to come into effect last September. However, Google delayed the move — first until March 2021 and then again to June 30 — as a result of the pandemic.
Other free services, like WhatsApp and FaceTime, will allow unlimited group calls. However, these aren’t always suitable for businesses due to limited platform support and smaller limits on the number of participants.
