Google Inc., through a blog post, has announced that it will merge Google Meet and Google Duo into a single app called ‘Meet’ as part of its efforts to further streamline the company’s communication offerings.
The decision to merge these two apps was a needful one as the two apps for the same purpose were confusing users. Google Meet was used mainly by enterprises for video conferencing, while Duo was used primarily by regular consumers for one-to-one calling. The new integration would allow users to “easily schedule a video meeting at a time that works for everyone, or continue using video calling to instantly connect with a person or group.”
By the end of the year, Google will rebrand the app formerly known as Google Duo as Google Meet. With this change, Google will provide a “single video communications service” that is free to use for anybody.
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According to the article, the modifications would affect administrators who manage G Suite accounts as well as end-users.
Google said it was fully committed to ensuring that this transition would be as seamless as possible for administrators who use Duo. Administrators will receive an email explaining how their company would be affected by this change according to the information provided by Google.
This month, Google will also introduce some new capabilities to the mobile app version of the Duo service. These include the capability to personalize virtual background during calls and meetings, the ability to plan meetings, in-meeting conversations, and live content sharing that is similar to Google Meet’s functionality. In addition, Google intends to provide “real-time closed captions to further enhance accessibility” and will raise the participant capacity for Duo from 32 to 100.
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The app is set to replace Duo as Google’s primary video calling service, but it appears that the company has no intention of leaving Duo’s core features behind. In a blog post, a Google executive stated that the existing video calling features from Duo will remain within the app. These features include the ability to make video calls to friends and family by phone number or email address, make use of entertaining filters and effects, send messages, and ask Google Assistant to call using existing devices. “All conversation history, contacts, and messages will continue to be kept in the app,” he continued.
Google Duo users won’t have to download a new app. All they have to do is make sure that the most recent version of Duo is installed on their device. Once the changes are fully implemented, Duo will be renamed Google Meet.
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Google Duo will get the following features after integration with Google Meet:
-Arranging meetings in a way that suits everyone who wants to attend, and will let you chat during the meeting with anyone who does not want to speak over the phone.
-You can also personalize the virtual backgrounds during your meetings, and if you need to share the screen with other participants in real-time, you can do that, too.
-Obtaining real-time closed captions will improve the accessibility of the content and encourage more people to participate in these video conferences.
-Easy integration with a variety of different programs, such as Gmail, Google Calendar, Assistant, and Messages, amongst others.
Finally, Meet will allow up to 100 participants at once, which is an increase from the current limit of 32 participants per video conference (if you’re using Duo).
