Google Meet

ApplicationGoogle LLC

Also called google meet pwa, meet.google.com

Google LLCProductivity

Google video meetings. The desktop helper is optional. The site can join a call. A helper may show as Meet.exe.

What you need to know

Google Meet is the site first. It is not Zoom and not classic Hangouts.

meet.google.com can join the call. An optional official web app may show Meet.exe. Zoom is a different vendor. Classic Hangouts is retired.

What is it?: Meetings
Still current?: Yes, see Current status
Official download?: Use the vendor link in this article

Feex says

If a Meet link is on the calendar, I would open meet.google.com, not a random Meet setup. Zoom.exe will not join this call. Classic Hangouts is gone.

What is Google Meet?

Google Meet is Google's video meeting service. The real client is the website. Meet.exe appears if you installed the official web app. A third-party Meet setup is not from Google.

If you have never used it

If a calendar invite says Google Meet, join at meet.google.com. You do not need a traditional Meet.exe installer. Chrome or Edge can install an official progressive web app. Classic Hangouts is a different retired product. Zoom.exe is a different vendor. Avoid Meet for Windows setup files from filename sites.

What is it used for?

Join or host a Meet

meet.google.com or a Calendar link. Zoom waiting rooms are a different product.

Optional desktop web app

Google documents a Chrome PWA. That helper can show as Meet.exe. The site still works without it.

Not classic Hangouts

Old hangouts.google.com video is retired. Meet is the current product.

Who is it for?

People whose calendar already says Meet
Workspace users who still say Hangouts for video
Anyone offered a Meet.exe from a download mill

Current status

Google Meet (2017) is a current meetings from Google LLC. The vendor still points Windows users at https://meet.google.com/.

How old is it?

Google Meet grew out of Hangouts Meet in 2017 and became the Workspace video product. Classic Hangouts is retired. It is newer than Zoom as a Google-branded meeting and not a 2000s Gmail video plugin story.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Current Windows build

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor
RAM	Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more.

Resource profile

CPU demand: Follows what you open inside the app
RAM demand: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
Meet.exe	Main Windows executable

Startup components

An installed Meet web app can reopen at sign-in. You can join only from the site and skip that.

File locations

Common Google Meet locations
Typical install	The browser profile, or an official installed web app shortcut

File formats

Meet recordings in Drive when the host records

Common problems

Fake Meet installers

Google does not ship a classic Meet MSI for Windows the way Zoom does. Filename-site Meet.exe files are junk.

People install Zoom to open a meet.google.com link

Wrong client. Use a supported browser or the official PWA.

Getting unstuck

Open meet.google.com in Chrome or Edge

support.google.com/meet is the vendor help. A Meet pro exe is junk.

Install the official PWA from the address bar if you want a window

Google documents the Chrome install icon. That is the supported desktop helper.

Check the Google account on the invite

A personal account may be blocked from a work Meet. That is tenant policy, not a GPU failure.

Alternatives

Zoom or Teams if that is the invite. Webex if the workplace uses Cisco. Classic Hangouts is not a fallback.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	meet.google.com/ Official installer or vendor page
Help	support.google.com/meet Vendor support
Official site	meet.google.com/ Start here, not a random exe host

Related hardware

A working camera and a current GPU driver. The browser or PWA does the video, not a separate Zoom-class installer.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

Google Meet official site · Vendor product page
Google Meet help · Vendor support
Meet PWA help · Official desktop web-app install
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

Was this article useful?

A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note.