Before you start
This course is independent of Google. It is not made, sponsored or approved by Google, and it does not copy Google's documentation. Where you need official detail, the lesson tells you which Google page to open yourself.
Google changes plans, prices and AI features often. Every plan fact in this lesson was checked on 1 November 2026. Check it again on the day you read this.
To find out what you can use in Meet and Chat, answer three questions:
- Which account am I signed in with?
- Which plan sits behind that account?
- Has my IT admin turned anything off?
Task 1: Check which account you are using
One Google account can be personal (for example an @gmail.com address) or a work or school account run by an organisation. Many people are signed in to both at once.
Desktop and web browser
- Open meet.google.com or chat.google.com.
- Click your profile picture in the top-right corner.
- Read the email address shown. If you see a company domain (for example name@yourcompany.com), you are on a work account.
- To switch, choose another account from the same menu. If it is not listed, click Add another account.
Mobile (Meet or Chat app on Android or iOS)
- Tap your profile picture in the top-right corner.
- Check the email address shown.
- Tap another account in the list to switch, or add one.
Do this now: In Meet and in Chat, write down which account is active. Make sure it matches the work you are doing. A client call started from your personal account gets your personal plan's limits.
Task 2: Identify your plan type
There are three broad situations.
- Personal (consumer) account, no subscription. You get free Meet and Chat. Group calls with three or more people are limited to 60 minutes. One-to-one calls can run much longer.
- Personal account with a paid Google plan. Paid personal plans can add premium Meet features. On 1 November 2026, Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers can use Gemini's "Take notes for me" in Meet. These plans are for personal accounts only.
- Google Workspace account (small business or corporate). Your organisation pays for an edition, such as Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus or an Enterprise edition.
If you are on Workspace and are not the admin, you usually cannot see your edition yourself. It is shown in the Google Admin console under Billing > Subscriptions. Ask your admin or IT helpdesk which edition you have.
Task 3: Map features to your plan
Open Google's current pricing page (workspace.google.com/pricing) and its Meet edition comparison page. Write the date at the top of your notes. On 1 November 2026, the Business editions compared like this:
| Feature | Business Starter | Business Standard | Business Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meet participants | 100 | 150 | 500 |
| Meeting recording | No | Yes | Yes |
| Gemini in Meet ("Take notes for me") | No | Yes | Yes |
| Gemini assistant | In Gmail | Gmail, Docs, Meet and more | Gmail, Docs, Meet and more |
On the same date, "Take notes for me" in Workspace was listed for Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard and Enterprise Plus. It supported a limited set of languages, one language per meeting.
Do this now: Build your own checklist with three columns: Feature, My plan includes it? (Yes / No / Unconfirmed) and Date checked. List at least:
- Meeting recording
- Breakout rooms, polls and Q&A
- Transcripts and live captions
- Gemini note-taking in Meet
- Gemini in Chat
Mark a feature Unconfirmed if Google's page is unclear or calls it a preview or beta. Do not guess.
Task 4: Missing from your plan, or switched off by your admin?
Think of the plan as the menu the restaurant offers, and the admin as the manager who can take dishes off it. A feature can be missing for either reason. The fix is different for each.
Signs that your plan does not include it
- Google's comparison page lists it only for higher editions than yours.
- You see an upgrade prompt, or the option never appears at all.
- On a personal account, the 60-minute group call warning appears.
Signs that your admin has turned it off
- Your edition includes it, but the button is missing or greyed out.
- A message says your administrator or organisation does not allow it.
- Colleagues in another department or team can use it but you cannot. Admins can apply settings to some groups and not others.
For example, admins have a Gemini setting in the Meet section of the Admin console that turns Gemini note-taking on or off. A corporate user on Business Plus may still not see "Take notes for me".
Who to ask
- Missing from your plan, on a personal account: you decide whether to upgrade.
- Missing from your plan, on a work account: ask your manager or the budget holder, because upgrading is a purchasing decision.
- Switched off by your admin: ask IT. Name the feature, say what you need it for, and ask whether the policy allows it. It may be off for legal, privacy or security reasons.
Do this now: Pick one feature from your checklist that you cannot find. Decide whether it is missing from your plan or switched off by your admin. Then write a one-line question to the right person.
Key takeaways
- Before you check any feature, check which account is active, on every device.
- Personal free accounts limit group Meet calls to 60 minutes. Workspace editions differ in participant numbers, recording and Gemini.
- On 1 November 2026, Business Starter had no Meet recording and no Gemini note-taking. Business Standard and Business Plus had both.
- Plan facts change often. Date every check and mark previews or unclear items as unconfirmed.
- "Not in my plan" goes to the budget holder. "Turned off by IT" goes to your admin.