Google is finally simplifying its video calling apps – Google Meet and Google Duo. Both apps were part of Google Workspace and offer similar features – which really made us question the need for two different apps for communication. Now, the single app will be called Google Meet, but it will take features from Duo as well.
Launched in 2017, Google Meet is a consumer and workplace focused app for making video calls. Users must share and join a unique link to enter into a call or meeting. It is a well rounded and more advanced web platform.
On the other hand, Google Duo was launched in 2016 (at the same time as the unsuccessful Allo app). It has made calling a little easier as calls can be made directly to people including their phone numbers. In that sense, Duo is similar to Apple’s FaceTime.
It would be wrong to say that Google has completely discontinued Duo, because a lot of Duo features are going to Google Meet. You will still be able to contact family and friends using the filters; The messages and history on the app will remain as well.
In fact, the built-in app will be Google Duo itself which will be renamed to Google Meet and will have all the features of the latter. The current Meet app will be called “Meet Original,” and may eventually be discontinued.
seems baffling? Most likely, though, Google’s goal is to simplify things with just one video calling app, whether it’s for personal use or for work.
With this integration of apps, Google hopes that the Meet brand will be known for something more than just “meetings.” You’ll still be able to schedule meetings and integrate with apps like Gmail and Calendar. You’ll also be able to share content live, text chat in the meeting, and access real-time captions. Meet will also support 100 members; Earlier this number was capped at 32.
In a Google blog post , Javier Soltero, Vice President and General Manager of Google Workspace, said: “In the coming weeks, we will be adding all of the Google Meet features to the Duo app, so users can easily schedule a meeting video at a time that works for everyone, or continue to use video calls for instant communication. with a person or group.
Duo will be renamed Meet later in the year.
Google also says that users will not have to download an additional app. But there are some kinks that Google will have to work around including how users will transition to the new app. It’ll take some balancing for Google to get this right, but it’s a move that could have been done earlier, possibly at the height of the pandemic, when Google Meet usage was high.
