Google Adds Meet to Gmail
- Paul Thurrott
- Jun 17, 2020
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Google is suddenly moving aggressively to push its free Meet service in the wake of competition from Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Its latest initiative: Bringing Meet to Gmail, the most popular email service on earth.
“With video calling being an integral part of our lives, we made Google Meet free and available for everyone last month, and also brought it into Gmail on the web,” Google’s Erika Yamasaki writes. “Today, we’re bringing Meet to Gmail on Android and iOS, so that you can easily join video meetings from your inbox.”
This functionality isn’t immediately available, which should be familiar to anyone using Google’s mobile apps. Instead, the firm says it will arrive on Android and iOS “in the coming weeks.”
When it does arrive, all Gmail users will be able to access scheduled Meet meetings directly from a new Meet tab in the app. They will likewise be able to start a new meeting at any time, share meeting links, or schedule a meeting in Google Calendar.
Those uninterested in using Meet, or even seeing this tab, can remove it: Just open Gmail settings, select your account, and uncheck the option “Meet.”
For more information about Google Meet, please refer to this product guide.