Google Meet just got a much-needed Zoom-like upgrade – here’s what is new

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If you’re a G Suite customer, you’re about to get some new Google Meet features so you can pivot away from Zoom or other alternatives. That’ll make Google Meet even more useful in our new, work-from-home normal.

Google Meet users will be able to start calls or join meetings straight from Gmail, making it easier than ever before to keep connected with your work colleagues. It’s been in the cards for a while now, with Google accelerating the timeline for deployment due to the huge surge of video conferencing demand. I mean, nobody wants their customers to go to the competition, right?

Later this month, Meet will get even more tricks, like a 16-person grid layout for participants that is similar to the popular “Brady Bunch” view on rival Zoom. Also on the slate are improvements to video quality in dim lighting and the filtering of background noise.

Google Meet, like all the other video conferencing services, has been adding daily users at unprecedented rates. Two million new users per day, according to stats that Google released last Thursday. There’s also 100 million education users now using Google Meet across 100 countries.

Currently, Google isn’t charging for Meet’s upgrades such as large video calls until September. Good time to sign up if you’re a business or education G Suite user.

What do you think? Plan on using this instead of something like Zoom? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

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• The best alternative to Zoom is never logging on, you cowards
• Google is telling its employees to stop using Zoom citing security reasons

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.