From virtual meetings to online church services to home study and even social life, Video-conferencing services have become the backbone of life for the past year and a half. Each of them have their unique features with preferred ways of accessing their services.
The popular, and probably the most profitable, Zoom, launched as a standalone application, and now has activated a web browser version. Google Meet, on the other hand, started out in the opposite direction, also built a browser-only application for desktops and recently turned into a Progressive Web App.
Google has been pushing the adoption of Progressive Web Applications (PWA) into the computing industry. This PWA is more than just a ‘wrap around’ for a web application, it is intended to provide an experience similar to a regular desktop application in both appearance and behaviour. Unsurprisingly, the Software Giant is rolling out Meet PWA as the best way to use desktop services.
Google does not discuss the differences between Meet via web and Meet via a Progressive Web Application. In fact, it confirmed that both have similar features, with the limitations being the Web experience. The only decisive advantage is that Meet no longer needs to be opened in a browser tab, so you don’t have to rush between tabs. Of course, you can turn off the Meet browser tab at any time.
“You can use Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) for a fast web experience on your computer or mobile device. You can install the PWA for faster access and additional functionality,” Google says.
How to Install Meet PWA on your computer
You can download the Google Meet PWA, following these simple steps:
- Go to meet.google.com on Google Chrome on your computer.
- Tap the vertical three dots at the top right corner.
- Find the drop-down menu, and tap to Install Google Meet.
- Next, tap the Install button that appears.
You can now run Google Meet as a standalone application rather than using the Chrome browser. The next time you sign in to Meet, you may be prompted to install it. When prompted, simply click the Install button and the PWA will be installed on your computer.
PWAs are a great alternative to many of your favourite apps and services, especially those that don’t have free storage space. This web application works like a browser version. This means that whenever an update arrives, you will receive it through the PWA.
