Google’s native video calling app Pair probably meant to merge with Get Application. However, it seems that the merger of the two apps is unlikely Google Doesn’t plan to develop a video service dedicated to end consumers, reports 9to5Google.
Google was planning to develop a single video calling platform for both business and individual users. The announcement was followed by the formation of an “integrated team” to work on both business and personal communication apps. It was initially planned to be merged and codenamed internally as Duet – a combination of Duo and Meet, but the Duo team was puzzled by the lack of interest in developing a dedicated service to the consumer.
Those plans later changed when the leadership of Duo and Meet decided not to focus on consumer video calling internally and that it was focusing all of its resources on Meet, which was primarily intended as a commercial product. was developed in. Back then, the only consumer-friendly feature added to Google Meet was Duo’s ability to call users via phone numbers, not just emails or links. End-to-end encryption was another Duo feature that was decided to be included in Meet.
Duo has seen very little development over the years and the joint team responsible for the Google video calling platform has been working most of their resources on Meet and making it a commercial product ever since.
9to5Google reports that the tech giant has commented that there have been no changes to plans to ‘continue to invest in our consumer users’. The company also provided a list of features that they will launch in 2021 like – refresh of Duo UI to support content, tablet and foldable device support, ranging from Duo to Samsung TVs. HD screen sharing, 18 new video effects and more. There are a few important Duo additions that Google has explained as active development signs.
The new Duo UI was introduced in August 2021 to replace the old home screen with a front camera live feed. Google has updated it with a simple list view that displays the call history and a “new call” option for users to do everything else. Again, this update coincides with a redesign that was previously introduced in Google Meet, reflecting Google’s preferences. The newly updated home screen was developed to allow 9to5Google’s easy maintenance reports to make the app easier for users. Essential stuff that you redesigned, which replaced the original UI components, then came later.
On the other hand, expanded tablet and foldable device support on Samsung TVs and Duo was developed as an agreement with Samsung to ensure Android also has a go-to video app that competes with FaceTime . The work in this area was a contractual one, the report shows. Apart from this, other features like screen sharing were earlier in the pipeline, the report said.
All of these developments suggest that the company has no clear plans to develop, replace or completely discontinue Google Duo. It’s also unclear whether Google Meet will eventually become an app that’s “good enough” for regular users who want to make video calls. Even though Google is expected to take non-commercial use into account, the tech giant believes that a combined solution – like Gmail with Chat, Meet, Docs and more – will suffice for everyone.
It is expected that Meet will eventually replace the Duo buttons that exist in Phone, Messages and other apps with Duo integration. But, it seems that Google is giving up on developing a simple app with a contact list where a single tap starts a video call instantly. If these are future plans, Android will likely lack a direct competitor to FaceTime in the coming years.
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