I’m annoyed by all the jokes people make about Google killing things unintentionally. I think that’s because I’m so deep into the ecosystem that these kinds of changes tend to affect me directly. Google’s latest murder target is Duo, which is now being combined with Meet in a video calling application. As frustrating as it is, this is another great example of why there are so many Killed By Google jokes.
Today, Google unveiled the migration plan for the timely demise of Duo in a blog post detailing the update. The Duo app for Android and other sites will have similar features to Meet in the coming weeks, such as virtual backgrounds and the ability to coordinate and schedule a video meeting with multiple participants. Subtitles will also be available and video calls can be expanded to 100 participants.
Google will not officially convert Duo to Meet until the end of the year. When you do this, the experience on your Android device and the Google Assistant-led smart screens shouldn’t be too different. Your conversation, contact, and message history will continue, and you won’t have to download any new apps.
A preview of the new Google Meet will appear when you take over Duo on Android. (Gif: Google)
Google Meet was previously reserved for professional setup, as it was the application to which you could sign in from your PC or Chromebook, while Google Duo was intended for use in the mobile environment. Some of the benefits of the Google Duo include group calls, fun effects, and the ability to leave video messages if the other person on the other line couldn’t answer. I often described the Google Duo as the Android version of Apple’s FaceTime, though I used it primarily to interact with my immediate family and no one else: that was the problem.
When I told my husband about Google’s upcoming changes to Duo, his immediate response was “finally.” It made no sense for Google to have two different video chat applications across its platforms.
The company seems to have noticed this as well. Javier Soltero, head of Google Workspace, told The Verge that “what has really been important is to understand how people decide which tool to use, for what purpose and under what circumstances.” Google saw people work according to their Google Account or Gmail address. By consolidating both video applications, you now only need this address to contact, rather than anything else. It’s similar to the infrastructure behind Apple’s FaceTime.
Google Duo will not disappear completely, at least not in spirit. The rest of your features will be added to the new Meet, including the fun items I mentioned earlier. It also reduces the reliance on third-party chat apps like WhatsApp to make a video call. Even with the availability of Google Duo on iOS, it was difficult to convince any friend or family member carrying an iPhone or iPad to download another app to call my Android device or Google’s smart screen. From now on, all we need from each other is our respective Google Accounts.