Google Meet: a free video calling app whose best tools cost extra
Google Meet covers everyday video calls for friends and work teams at no charge, but the AI notes, translation, recording and some audio cleanup sit in a paid tier.
Google Meet covers everyday video calls for friends and work teams at no charge, but the AI notes, translation, recording and some audio cleanup sit in a paid tier.
3.7 / 5
Google Meet is Google's video calling app for phones, tablets, Nest displays and the web. It is pitched at two audiences at once: people calling family and friends, and teams holding meetings. The same app serves both, which keeps things simple but means it is not specialised for either.
The listing's pitch for call quality rests on a few automatic aids. It describes light adjustment for dim rooms, noise cancellation, and live captions so people can follow along without sound. There are also the usual playful extras: filters, reactions and backgrounds. None of this is something I can vouch for in practice, but the set is what most people expect from a modern call app.
The free app handles the basics of calling. The more ambitious tools are marked as premium: AI note-taking, real-time speech-to-speech translation, meeting recording, and the fuller noise cancellation. The listing points to Workspace pricing for details, which tells you these are tied to a Google Workspace plan rather than sold as a simple in-app upgrade.
That matters for who benefits. Translation and automatic notes are the headline ideas for a work meeting, and recording is something many teams treat as standard. A casual user will never meet the paywall. A small business hoping to get all of it for nothing will.
Live captions and speech translation are both described as unavailable in some languages, so check the support pages the listing links before counting on either. The developer also says feature availability depends on the device, which means two people on the same call may not see the same options.
Meet does not try to be a chat network. If your friends live in a messaging app such as WhatsApp, getting them onto Meet is an extra step, and the listing says nothing about how people are invited. It also leans on Google's ecosystem, so it suits people already inside it more than anyone else.
For plain video calls, Meet is an easy recommendation on terms: it is free and the listing shows a sensible base set. The score stops short of high because the features that make it stand out for work are behind a paid plan, and language coverage is uneven. Install it for calls and group meetings; look elsewhere, or budget for Workspace, if translation and recording are the point.
Senior reviews editor ·
Google Meet
com.google.android.apps.tachyon
PUBG MOBILEMei-Lin Chua3.7 / 5
PUBG MOBILE is a free 100-player battle royale for phones with team modes and customisable controls. The listing is thin on pricing and long on slogans, and that is where the caution lies.
Android AutoHafiz Rahman3.9 / 5
Android Auto puts a simplified, voice-driven version of your phone's driving apps on a compatible car screen. It is free and does the core job, but the listing reads dated and leans on your car.
Google MessagesKelvin Ooi4.1 / 5
Google Messages is Google's free SMS and RCS texting app. It brings modern chat features to ordinary phone numbers, but the best parts depend on carriers, other users' setups and AI extras.
RobloxMei-Lin Chua3.6 / 5
Roblox is a free launcher for a huge catalogue of player-made multiplayer games. The listing is vague about spending and safety, and the content rating is 16+, which matters for any parent.
TelegramKelvin Ooi4.1 / 5
Telegram is a free, cloud-synced messenger built for large groups, big file transfers and multi-device use, but its default chats are not end-to-end encrypted, and that matters.
© 2018–2026 APKCube
