Once integration with the Gmail app is complete, users won’t need the dedicated Google Meet app to start or join a video call.

Google Meet, Google’s video conferencing service, will soon be incorporated into the Android and iOS Gmail app. The launch was announced almost a month after the company incorporated Google Meet tab into the Gmail Web client on Tuesday. The Meet tab on the Gmail app will allow users to join or start a Meet call, just like the Web version. As well as having the option to schedule one with Google Calendar, users will also be able to see upcoming Meet Calls. Notably, Google Meet has undergone a host of updates in the past few weeks, as more people remain indoors and spend time online despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Google states in a blog post that users will be able to attend meetings with the Gmail Android or iOS app by clicking on the Meet button in Google Calendar or through a button connected via email and Google Chat. Meeting video calls in the Gmail app will work the same way as the Meet app but the company notes with some differences to the user interface. Interestingly, once integration with the Gmail app is complete, users won’t need the dedicated Google Meet app to start or join a video call.

When the user taps the Meet button to enter a call, the Gmail app will request permission to access the microphone and camera on the phone. Before that, during the video call, users will switch off / on camera and microphone, just as in the daily Meet program. In a separate post Google notes that users will also have the option to disable the Gmail app’s Meet tab. This can be achieved by moving to Settings at the top left corner of the app > tap on your account > uncheck Meet from the hamburger menu.

Google has not specified the exact release date but the company claims that the transition will take place in the “coming weeks.” It is uncertain if the Meet tab on the Gmail app would be rolled out with an over-the-air ( OTA) update or server-side update.