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Meet Now is located on the Windows 10 Taskbar, allowing you to quickly start or join a scheduled meeting that you've been invited to. This integration is supported by Skype.
The Meet Now feature itself is not new. It appeared on Skype earlier this year to enhance the online meeting experience. As many have observed, Skype is squandering its lead in the 'video conferencing arena' as other platforms like Zoom and even Google Meet seem to always be one step ahead. The pandemic outbreak has forced many places around the world to implement social distancing measures, and people have turned to video calls to connect with friends and family, as well as colleagues.
- Discover more: How to use the new Meet Now feature on Skype.
Microsoft hopes that integrating the Meet Now feature into Windows 10, with the icon always visible in the Taskbar notification area, will attract users, even those who don't use Skype.
Meet Now allows Windows 10 users to connect with anyone and easily set up a collaboration space with just 2 mouse clicks. It's free and doesn't require registration or software download. People can easily join meetings whether they have a Skype account or not, from any device, mobile or computer. For those interested in having a Skype account, you can refer to it here.
- Discover more: Latest guide to creating a new Skype account.
To initiate a video call, simply click the Meet Now icon in the system tray and select Create a meeting. Meet Now will open a browser window to start the online meeting. You can modify the meeting name and share the meeting link with others. Once ready, turn on your microphone, camera, and press the Start Meeting button.
As the meeting begins, you'll be greeted with the typical Skype meeting experience. You can chat, react with emojis, or share your screen. Each call can last up to 24 hours, with no time limit for the meeting.
If someone sends you a meeting link, simply click the Meet Now icon and select Join a meeting. Then, paste the link or code into the browser window that appears, click the Join button to participate in the meeting.
The link also works directly in the browser (only Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome are officially supported at this time), allowing users on mobile devices or other operating systems to join.
However, the online meeting experience differs slightly from Skype as it lacks the ability to change background effects and add Skype contacts. Of course, before this feature is released in a public Windows 10 build (and if it is), it may undergo changes in form or function.
Currently, this feature is only being rolled out to a small group of Insiders in the Dev Channel. Once Microsoft identifies and addresses any performance and reliability issues, Meet Now will gradually be deployed to everyone in the Dev Channel.
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