Google will combine Meet and Duo in a single application to make voice and video calls
The use of video calls is essential to stay connected at a distance. Currently there are a variety of options for this; however, before resorting to an application, you have to take into account the norms, the rules, the use and the purpose that will be given to it. Currently, Google has two tools for this: Duo and Meet.
Although each one has its specificities, since some are designed for work and others for personal use, the American company announced that these two applications will be combined to create a new one.
It’s about “Google Meet” and it is expected to be the option that users were looking for in their lives.
According to the person in charge of Google Workspace, Javier Soltero, Gmail addresses and phone numbers are planned to be integrated into this new application. In this way, each user will decide when he wants to be contacted and when not.
One of the main axes of this project is “accessibility”, something that Soltero has focused on during his time at Google. And it is that given the possibility of starting a video call at any time, there is also the need to decide when you prefer to stay disconnected.
In recent years, Meet has positioned itself as one of the most popular platforms for meetings and chat groups of all kinds. On the other hand, Duo has established itself more as an instant messaging app. Google’s idea is to adapt all the features of Duo to Meetwith the aim of offering the best of both applications.
One of the differences between Duo and Meet is that in the first you can call someone directly using the phone number, without having to resort to links or schedule the meeting in Google Calendar. In that sense, Duo – which originally launched in 2016 – is more like FaceTime.
Although it is a combination of these two applications, Google has chosen to keep Duo. Within a short time, this tool will incorporate a multitude of Meet features into its platform. In this way, yesIt is expected that by the end of this 2022, Duo will evolve to be called “Google Meet”.
As for Meet, it will be renamed “Meet Original”; however, it will eventually become obsolete. Although this decision may be confusing, the director of Google’s video products, Dave Citron, assured that it is the best way forward in terms of connectivity and functionality, since Meet, being a web platform, will be the basis of this new combined system.
This project is part of Google’s efforts to unify some of its disparate tools in order to provide a more cohesive service. It also has to do with what Meet was growing more and more during the pandemicbeing one of the most viable options to keep in touch at a distance.
It is because of that Soltero sees Meet as the “obvious” place for Google to focus its future voice and video efforts, because there is still a market to explore. Over time, he hopes the Meet brand will mean more than just a “meeting.”
However, there are still some details that need to be adjusted. For example: will every time a call is received ring on all devices and web browser tabs logged in? Google has answered no, and assured that has been working to determine on which device the notification will be received in the event of an incoming call.
Despite this, Meet is already integrated into various Google services, so could become a forceful competitor to other tools and applicationssuch as WhatsApp and FaceTime, to name a few.
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