What is Google Meet? How to use Google Hangouts Meet? How much does Google Meet cost? How is Google Meet different from Hangouts? In this article, we will see the Google Meet video calling tool, who can use it, how to use it and the requirements to use this professional platform for video conferencing.
With the confinement of professionals and companies for more than a month, many companies have had to find alternatives to keep in touch with their professionals and clients, as well as provide alternative services to those they were offering in person.
And so, the rise of platforms like Zoom and other video conferencing platforms. In my case, to continue teaching online one of my clients has opted for a more professional tool, Google Hangouts Meet.
I had not tried it yet, I have always used the free version of Google, the classic Hangouts, and the truth was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the video conference and the options it offers us, and that’s why I’m going to talk about this platform, in case you are a professional or company and you are looking for something more advanced than Zoom (and avoid the problems it has caused) and that offers better benefits for your company, clients and services.
What is Google Meet?
Google Meet or Google Hangouts Meet is Google’s professional video conferencing platform created for companies. It is a tool that is found within the suite of G Suite apps. It could be like the classic Hangouts but with more advanced options. A Premium tool.
The truth is that it is a few years old because they launched the tool in 2017. But it has never aroused great interest, such as Google Hangouts once, perhaps because it is a payment platform.
However, with the crisis that we are having for not being able to go to our jobs, its popularity is growing exponentially, like other platforms for video calls or video conferences such as Zoom (perhaps the best-known case).
For you to see the interest in Google Hangouts Meet, in the first week of April more than 2,000 million minutes of video calls were made with this platform.
With Google Hangouts Meet, companies or professionals can organize video conferences of up to 100 participants (with the basic plan, you will have more options with other plans), but whoever organizes the meeting must have access to G Suite (Google’s paid suite For businesses).
And what needs to be done to use this platform?
Requirements to use Google Meet?
These are the necessary requirements to use Google Meet:
- Being a company with access to Google’s G Suite.
- A G Suite administrator must activate Meet in your organization.
- To create video conferences, you must be signed in to a G Suite account.
- To join a video call, you do not have to have a G Suite account, you just have to join a video call as long as you have sent us the invitation by link or by entering the meeting ID.
- To join a video call, you need to have the Meet mobile app or a compatible web browser.
Google Meet is compatible with the current version of these browsers:
- Chrome browser
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Apple Safari
(Meet has limited compatibility with Microsoft Internet Explorer 11, so it’s best that you use Meet on Microsoft Edge based on platform recommendations.)
How to use Google Meet?
To learn how to use Google Hangouts Meet or start video calls from Meet you must:
- Enter the web address: https://meet.google.com/
- Click Start or join a meeting.
- Enter an alias or leave it blank to start your own meeting. Then click Continue.
- Finally, click Join Now.
To add someone to the meeting, choose one of these options:
- Copy the login details and paste the meeting information into the email of the person or people you want to invite to the video call.
- Or click Invite and select a name or enter an email address of the person you want to invite and click Send Invitation.
(You can also invite by entering the other person’s mobile).
Ok, I find the tool interesting, but how much does Google Meet cost?
Now I tell you because they have lowered it …
How much does Google Meet cost?
The price of Google Meet depends on the G Suite rate we have, if you want to know how much Google meet costs, here is the current discounted rate :
G Suite prices are as follows:
- Basic Plan: $6 / month.
- Business Plan: $12 / month.
- Enterprise Plan: $25 / month.
To organize (not to join, which is free) a video call with Google Hangouts Meet, it is necessary to be registered in some of its paid applications for schools and Google companies, G Suite.
EYE: But if you are interested, for now, forget about paying, because Google offers all the G Suite functions for free, till Sept. 30.
Differences between Google Hangouts Meet and the classic Hangouts
Some of the differences between Google Meet and Hangouts are
No. of Participants
In Google Meet there are several options:
- With the Basic and G Suite plan for Educational Centers: up to 100 participants ;
- Business Plan: up to 150 participants ;
- Enterprise Plan and G Suite Enterprise for Educational Centers: up to 250 participants.
Hangouts can hold meetings of up to 25 people.
Join a video call
- In Google Hangouts Meet, it can be done through a link URL, with a meeting code, Google Calendar, or through a phone number.
- In Hangouts, through Gmail and Google Calendar.
Access to video calls to external users
- In Google Meet, we can give videoconferences access to any user through a single link to share.
- In Hangouts, access is via Calendar invitations and permissions.
Compatible Platforms and Browsers
- Google Meet is compatible with the browsers: Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Microsoft Internet Explorer 11, and Microsoft Edge and with iOS and Android platforms.
- Hangouts are compatible with Android, iOS and Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer browsers.
Send messages in video calls
- In Google Hangouts Meet, we can do it through browsers and mobile applications.
- In Hangouts, it is only possible in the web version.
Option to record meetings
This function can only be performed on the Enterprise or Enterprise Suite G plan for Schools of Google Meet.
Meeting URLs
In Google Meet, we have unique meeting URLs and in Hangouts, we can edit the URLs.
How to create a meeting in Google Hangouts Meet?
To start meetings from Meet, we have to:
- Open the Google Hangouts Meet app.
- Then click New Meeting.
- (Optional) Add Meeting Code and enter a meeting code or name.
- Then click Join the meeting.
How to record a video conference on Meet Google?
As I mentioned earlier, this function to record in Meet is only available in the Enterprise plan and G Suite Enterprise for Educational Centers.
Recordings are only available in the computer version. In mobile applications, we receive notifications when a recording starts or stops, but we cannot control it.
To record in Google Hangouts Meet, the steps are:
- Open Meet and start or join a meeting.
- Click More. …
- Wait for the recording to start. …
- Click More. …
- Click Stop recording again to verify.
- Wait for the recording file to be generated and saved to the meeting organizer’s My Drive > Meet Recordings folder.
Note that when recording starts or stops, other participants receive a notification (in case someone is not expected to record you).
The recording of the meeting stops if all its participants leave it.
When the meeting file is generated, the organizer of the video call will receive a link to the recording via email.
Conclusion
How much does Google Meet currently cost? Many people have written to me privately asking this, and as we have seen above, prices have dropped with the COVID-19 crisis, and so perhaps it is a good time to try this powerful tool to conduct more professional and higher quality meetings with Professionals and clients, since until September 30, 2020, G Suite clients will be able to use the advanced video conferencing features of Google Meet, such as organizing meetings with a larger number of people (up to 250 participants), live broadcast and recording. As of that date, the functions of Google Hangouts Meet will correspond to the edition that customers have, whether it is G Suite Basic, G Suite Business, or G Suite for Educational Centers.
There are many more options to use with this platform, these have been the basic ones to start with. If I see that you are interested in knowing more about this platform, I will continue investigating and possibly make other articles about the tool.
I hope it has been useful to you and do not hesitate to take advantage of the free options they are offering.
Did you know Google Hangouts Meet? What tool do you use to make professional videoconferences?
I would like to know below in the comments which platforms you are using in your strategy or company.
If you find the article interesting, do not hesitate to share it on your social networks. Thank you.
