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 apps, into one platform. From the next few weeks, Google will begin adding Meet features to the Duo. Once this happens, you will be able to use the application, which until now was designed primarily for personal video calls, to schedule appointments. Other features that will pave the way for the Duo include support for virtual backgrounds, live content sharing and text chat during a meeting.
At the same time, Google promises features that Duo users know and love, such as the ability to apply filters and effects to your calls, will go nowhere. In addition, your call history, contacts and messages will not disappear from the application. All of this is part of Google’s promise to “carefully” integrate the two platforms and ensure that it supports as many users as possible.
Once this process is complete, Google will rename the mobile versions of both applications, with the Duo becoming Meet and the current Meet becoming Meet Original. The company told The Verge that it plans to abandon the latter in the end. If all this sounds confusing, there’s a good reason for Google’s approach. The company said it has built a lot of sophistication into the Duo mobile app, and it looks like Google doesn’t want to give up.
As for Google’s reason for merging the two apps, the company believes it will ultimately benefit consumers. “Over the past few years, Duo and Meet have continued to evolve with the evolving needs for video calls and meetings, and now the experience will be better together as Google Meet,” a company spokesman told Engadget. Of course, the hard part for Google will be finding a way to integrate the two apps without making the service feel overwhelming. Many people love Duo for its simplicity, and the sudden influx of new features and added sophistication can make them look elsewhere.
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