According to Android Police, Google is finally addressing one of Meet’s biggest headaches by integrating Google Chat directly into meetings. Starting November 10, 2025 for Rapid Release domains and December 3, 2025 for Scheduled Release domains, all in-meeting chat will now be powered by Google Chat. This means messages, files, and links shared during calls will persist in a dedicated Chat conversation that remains accessible after the meeting ends. The feature includes emoji reactions and direct file sharing within Meet. But here’s the catch – it’s only available for Google Workspace business and enterprise customers on specific plans like Enterprise Standard, Business Plus, and Frontline tiers. Users can disable “continuous meeting chat” if they prefer the old temporary messaging system.
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Why This Actually Matters
Look, we’ve all been there – someone drops a crucial link in the meeting chat, you forget to copy it, and poof, it’s gone forever when the call ends. That frustration has been a glaring weakness in Google Meet compared to competitors. Basically, Google’s been playing catch-up while Teams and Slack have had persistent conversations baked in for years. This integration finally bridges that gap and makes Meet feel like a more complete collaboration platform rather than just a video calling tool.
The Real Battle Here
So what’s really going on? Google’s trying to create that sticky ecosystem that keeps you locked into their workspace tools. If your meeting chats live permanently in Google Chat, you’re less likely to jump over to Teams or Slack for ongoing conversations. It’s a smart move, but honestly, it feels a bit late to the party. Microsoft Teams has had this seamless integration between calls and chats since basically forever. And Slack, despite its acquisition drama, still dominates the persistent conversation space.
<h2 id="paid-feature-problem“>The Paid-Only Problem
Here’s the thing that bugs me – this is yet another feature that’s reserved for paying Workspace customers. Regular free Google account users? They’re stuck with the old disappearing chat. That creates a two-tier system where the best collaboration tools are behind a paywall. It makes business sense for Google, but it fragments the user experience. I mean, shouldn’t fixing fundamental workflow issues be available to everyone? Especially when competitors offer similar functionality across their free and paid tiers.
What This Means Going Forward
This integration is part of Google’s broader strategy to unify its communication tools. We’re seeing similar consolidation across the industry as companies realize that siloed apps create friction. The timing is interesting too – with remote work becoming permanent for many companies, the pressure is on to provide seamless hybrid collaboration tools. This move might help Google compete more effectively against Microsoft’s deeply integrated Office 365 ecosystem. But they’ll need to move faster – the workplace tools race isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
