Google is about to simplify its communications services. The company announced today that it plans to merge Duo and Meet, its two different video calling applications, into a single platform. In the coming weeks, Google will begin adding Meet features to Duo. Once this is done, you’ll be able to use the app, which was previously designed primarily for personal video calling, to schedule meetings. Other features that will come to Duo include support for virtual backgrounds, live sharing, and meeting text chat.
At the same time, Google promises that features that Duo users know and appreciate, such as the ability to apply filters and effects to your calls, will go nowhere. In addition, your call, contact, and message history will not disappear from the app. It’s all part of Google’s commitment to “carefully” integrate the two platforms and make sure it supports as many users as possible.
Once this process is complete, Google will rename the mobile versions of both applications, with Duo it will become Meet and the current Meet will become Meet Original. The company told The Verge that it plans to disapprove of the latter. If all this sounds confusing, there’s a good reason for Google’s approach. The company said it has incorporated a lot of sophistication into the Duo mobile app and it looks like Google doesn’t want to give up this job.
As for Google’s reason for merging the two apps, the company believes that doing so will ultimately benefit users. “In recent years, Duo and Meet have continued to grow with the evolving needs of video calling and meeting, and now the experiences will be better together as a Google Meet,” a company spokesman told Engadget. Of course, the tricky part for Google will be finding a way to integrate the two apps without making the resulting service overwhelming. Many people love Duo for its simplicity, and a sudden influx of new features and added complexity can make them look elsewhere.
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