Mobile conferencing app
Online conferencing has been a vital part of businesses. Through it, companies and organizations are able to
bring people together
, regardless of where they are in the world. Hence, the rise of this software in the market nowadays. Among the best options around is
Google Meet
.
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It is a freemium
business and productivity
app made by
to meet your video conferencing needs. Google Meet replaces the company's previous products,
Duo
and
Hangouts Meet
, providing
slightly different features
for more advanced users. What was once a premium app is now free for all as it competes against
Zoom
.
Participating and hosting meetings
Google Meet enables you to
host and participate
in virtual meetings of
up to 250 participants
. Among the notable assets is that this
video conferencing
platform allows
anyone to join
the online gathering, whether or not they are a member of the same organization — all they need is the
link to the meeting room
. Another way to join is
via dial-in
, the number and PIN for which are available in the
automatic email sent
to participants.
Meetings are
reflected
on your
Google Calendar
once you accept the invitation. This makes it
easy to remember
the time, date, and agenda for your virtual assemblies. Hosting a meeting is also a breeze, as this conferencing platform allows you to
start one with a simple click
on the
New Meeting
button on the app’s home screen. Tapping on the said button will give you
joining information
such as the link, phone number, and PIN for the meeting.
The best part is that you can
use the same link infinitely
, eliminating the need for creating new meeting rooms. Scheduling a conference is also easy, though you
will need the Google Calendar app
for this one since you will
choose the date and time
of your online assembly. You can also
set other details
for your meeting such as the name, agenda, guest list, and notification for your invites.
Practical features for seamless conferences
What makes meetings with Google Meet convenient are the features that the app offers. Among its notable attributes is the ability to
share your screen
. This asset allows both the host and participants to present papers, slides, and more regardless of the device they’re using. However, those who join the
meeting via phone will not be able to see or share the presentation.
Security is another important feature that you can find on this platform. As such, this online meeting app boasts
cloud
and
end-to-end encryption
to ensure a secure and private virtual conference. Additionally,
Google Suite
customers have additional security since they can
bar people from joining
the meeting if they are not part of their organization. This feature makes it easy to
weed out unwanted parties
before they even get inside the virtual conference room.
Other features that make conferences with Google Meet seamless are the
in-meeting chat
,
emoji
reactions,
live captions
for video calls, and
virtual background effects
. It also has a
hand-raise feature
that allows participants to
signal
if they want to talk, an asset that helps avoid cutting or speaking over the current speaker. The
options for the meeting layout
also provide users with flexibility on the view on their screens.
The use of Duet AI
The new
Duet AI feature
represents a significant advancement in image generation capabilities. This feature enables users to instantly
generate images
based on
text descriptions
, showcasing the remarkable abilities of
artificial intelligence
. Notably, the AI tool can even create original visuals that have never existed. This opens up a world of possibilities for users to obtain unique and
personalized backgrounds
for their video calls.
Users can use this feature to express themselves creatively and
enhance their connections
during video calls. It allows individuals to add a
touch of personalization
and uniqueness to their virtual interactions. Moreover, this feature also
addresses privacy concerns
by allowing users to
safeguard the privacy
of their surroundings. By generating custom backgrounds, users can prevent unintended disclosure of personal or sensitive information that may be visible in their video call backdrop.
However, it is essential to note that this feature is currently in the
developmental stage
. Nonetheless, its potential to revolutionize how we engage in video calls is promising.
Caveats to consider
Google Meet is certainly among the best video conferencing platforms you can use with its top-notch features. However, the app is far from being perfect. Among its limitations is the
time restriction
for the free version, as meetings can only last up to 60 minutes. You will have to
subscribe to a plan
if you wish
to exceed this limit
, along with
getting other features
such as live streaming, international dial-in numbers, meeting recordings, and administrative controls.
Another setback of this app is the
recurring audio issues
, in which a speaker may suddenly cut-off when speaking or their audio may not come through the call at all. There are also
blank presentation problems
where the screen is blank for participants despite showing up on the presenters’ end and the fact that it can
load up quite slowly
. There is also a
limit to the number of participants displayed
on the screen.
For hassle-free virtual meetings
Overall, Google Meet is a secure video conferencing software for both enterprise and personal use. It is a versatile and simple tool with all the functionality you would like for web conferencing. It works as part of an interconnected package of applications, but as a stand-alone solution, it gets the job done. It's a sound option if you're looking for a lightweight tool that's easy to get on board with.