Amid the pandemic, Zoom has become one of the most quintessential video calling and virtual collaboration apps of our time. As of April of 2020, it had amassed as many as 300 million daily meeting participants, a number that continued to grow as the months progressed. So to celebrate its success and to make its users feel even more connected during the holidays, the company is lifting its 40-minute time limit for free accounts. The offer began for the last day of Hanukkah, Christmas Eve and Day, and will be available for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day as well. 

Usually, meetings with three or more participants hosted on free accounts would be cut short at the 40-minute mark and the participants would have to go through the hassle of setting up a new meeting all over again. But for the holidays, this time limit will be lifted so that users with free accounts can enjoy unlimited video call hours, same as their paying counterparts.  This campaign, dubbed #ZoomTogether will help users celebrate the holidays with their families virtually without the constant worry of surpassing the time limit. It will be beneficial to those who won’t be able to travel for the holidays as the spread of the Coronavirus intensifies.

According to their press release, “COVID-19 has changed how we live, work, and celebrate in 2020, and like everything else this year, the holiday season doesn’t look the same. As a token of appreciation to our users during an extraordinary time, we’re removing the 40-minute limit on free Zoom accounts for all meetings globally for several upcoming special occasions.”

Here are the specific dates and times for the upcoming unlimited meetings:

• 10 a.m. ET Wednesday, Dec. 23, to 6 a.m. ET Saturday, Dec. 26
• 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 30, to 6 a.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 2

The lift will occur automatically during the designated times so users won’t be expected to do anything to enjoy the unlimited talk hours. However, to make the meetings even better, Zoom encourages users to create discrete passcodes to prevent uninvited guests from crashing their meetings, to keep their Zoom clients updated to ensure they have all the latest product and security features and to download holiday-themed backgrounds and video filters available on the app to make their meetings more festive.

Embrace the remote work shift now with Ureed.com and enjoy a fully remote freelance experience. Sign up now and connect with top employers from the comfort and safety of your home.