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Google Meet Gets 1080p Video Calls for Crisper Visuals

By Charlie Fripp
Google Meet

Google’s online videoconferencing software Meet is hugely popular among those who work remotely, but it lacks the visual clarity that others, such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom, have. The maximum resolution that you can use is 720p, but that’s changing with an incoming update.

Tip: considering changing your videoconferencing software? Find out how Google Meet, Zoom, and Skype compare.

Catching Up to the Competition

Skype, Zoom and Teams already let you communicate with others over video calls in 1080p, and thanks to an upcoming Google Meet update, it will also now support the high-definition resolution.

Google

But not everyone using Google Meet will see a huge improvement in video meetings, as the update is only (for now) available to “select Google Workspace editions.” The tech giant explained that 1080p is available on the Web when using a computer with a 1080p camera and enough computing power in meetings with two participants.

The setting is off by default, so if you are lucky enough to have the functionality, you must enable it. “Eligible users will be prompted before entering the meeting about the new 1080p option, or it can be turned on or off via the settings menu,” Google explained in a blog post.

Availability

The higher resolution setting is rolling out this week for select Google Workspace users. It should be made available to everybody else in early May. The account types that can turn on the setting include:

  • Business Standard and Plus
  • Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
  • Education Plus
  • Enterprise Essentials
  • Frontline customers

FYI: want to make your meetings more interesting? Learn how to change the background in Google Meet.

You will also see the new video setting if you are a Google One subscriber with 2TB of storage space. The standard 720p resolution requires a bandwidth of about 1.7Mbps for inbound and outbound video, but the 1080p resolution requires a faster 3.6Mbps Internet connection.
Image credit: Google

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Charlie Fripp Avatar
Charlie Fripp
Charlie Fripp is a technology writer with a strong focus on consumer gadgets, video games, and cyber security. He holds an undergraduate degree in professional journalism and has worked as a journalist for over 15 years. In his spare time, he enjoys playing various musical instruments and gardening.

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