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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Google Meet can now take notes for in-person meetings.
- The feature works on both the app and desktop versions.
- It’s only open to Google AI Pro or Ultra subscribers for now.
Several years ago, Google Meet introduced a feature that takes notes during your virtual meetings. As of this week, Google’s meeting software can now sit in and take notes on your in-person offline meetings, too.
Designed to let you focus on the meeting instead of taking down what was said, Meet’s new feature is rolling out this week to both the app and desktop versions. The app version started rolling out on Aug. 11, while the desktop version started on Aug. 14. If you try your desktop version and don’t see it, try the app.
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There’s no shortage of apps, software, and even devices designed to transcribe meetings, but this feature goes beyond simply recording and transcribing. Just like Meet’s virtual version, the feature uses Gemini to build a structured summary and a complete transcript into a Google Doc, automatically saves the file to Google Drive, and emails you a link. Best of all, it does it without requiring you to purchase or install anything extra.
Google does explain that you’ll need to let everyone present know Gemini will be taking notes. The feature supports eight languages — English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish — but only one at a time. The feature works best, Google added, for meetings lasting between 15 minutes and 8 hours.
How to use Google Meet to take in-person notes
To use Meet’s new note-taking feature, look for the “Take notes” button beside the “New” button. When you tap the button, Gemini will automatically start taking notes on what it hears. When the meeting is over, press the button to stop recording.
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The feature is available to the standard and plus tiers if your account is on a business plan, but if you’re an individual, you’ll need a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription.
