If you own one of the best Samsung TVs and use Google Meet regularly to stay in touch with loved ones or colleagues, you'll need to find an alternative solution over the next few weeks.
SamMobile reports that Google Meet, the tech giant's video conferencing app, will no longer be available on Samsung smart TVs in March 2024, potentially affecting millions of users. This move follows the previous removal of the Google Play Movies app from Samsung TVs a few years ago. Just like the next Google Assistant output from Samsung TVs on March 1, 2024.
Using Google Meet on Samsung TVs has always been a simple process that requires simply connecting a webcam to the TV. You can then make and receive video calls directly from your TV, similar to how you would use a tablet, phone, or computer for the same thing. The convenience of video conferencing on a large screen made Google Meet a really popular choice for both personal and professional purposes.
Google Meet, originally known as Google Duo, debuted on Samsung smart TVs in October 2022 and was also included in 2023 TV models, along with Samsung's Tizen smart monitors (the 7000 series and above). However, Samsung smart monitors and TVs launched so far in 2024 do not feature Google's video calling app, signaling an imminent change.
This removal comes just a year and a half after the app's introduction to Samsung screens. According to user reports, the service will stop working or disappear on March 9, 2024. Samsung also removed its support page for Google Meet, further confirming the discontinuation of the app.
Is Google snubbing Tizen to focus on Android/Google TV?
The big question is: was this a move by Samsung or Google?
This development may not necessarily indicate Samsung's decision to remove Google services from its Tizen platform, but it could reflect Google's intentions to prioritize its own ecosystems.
The discontinuation of Google Meet, along with the upcoming release of Google Assistant on March 1, 2024, has raised questions about what Google's strategy could be on Samsung's Tizen platform in the future.
It's hard to know for sure since there hasn't been any official announcement confirming this latest move, but these options suggest a shift by Google to consolidate its efforts and focus more on its own platforms, which are Android and Google TV, rather than to support its services on third-party platforms, such as Samsung's Tizen.
It would make sense for Google to want to optimize its resources and focus on platforms where it can exert more control and integration. But the result for Samsung TV users who currently rely on Google Meet is that they won't have much time to explore alternative video conferencing solutions.
