Google Meet free users will have to make sure their meetings aren't too long

By Anthony Spadafora
published

Free users will need to upgrade to host group video calls longer than 60 minutes

Google Meet
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Video calls in Google Meet (opens in new tab) will now have a 60 minute time limit for users with a personal Gmail (opens in new tab) account as Google will now impose meeting length limits after not enforcing them during the pandemic.

When the search giant's video conferencing software (opens in new tab) first became available to all users back in April of last year, the company said that there wouldn't be any meeting restrictions until September 30. However, that deadline was pushed back until March 31 before it was extended again to June 30 of this year.

While some believed that Google would extend the deadline again, it hasn't and now Gmail users with a personal account will be limited to 60 minute video calls when in a meeting with three or more participants.

Meeting length limits

Unlike Zoom (opens in new tab) which cuts off once users reach its 40-minute time limit, Google Meet will instead send everyone a notification at 55 minutes that their call is about to end. In order to extend a group call with three or more participants past 60 minutes, the host can upgrade their Google account. 

According to a new support document (opens in new tab) from Google, the company recommends that users consider the individual tier of Google Workspace (opens in new tab) which costs $9.99 per month. However, Google Workspace Individual is currently only available in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Japan, so this won't work for everyone.

Although there are now time limits for group video calls when using Meet with a personal Gmail account, these same restrictions don't apply to one-on-one calls which can last for up to 24 hours on both free and enterprise accounts.

If you can't or don't want to sign up for Google Workspace to keep using Google Meet for group video calls, then you'll just have to keep track of the remaining time in a meeting though at least Google will give you a warning to let you know it's time to say your goodbyes.

Via 9to5Google (opens in new tab)

Anthony Spadafora
Anthony Spadafora

After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home. 

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