Google recently announced to integrate its two video calling apps, Duo and Meet, into one platform. The tech giant has promised to incorporate all of Duo’s features into Meet and seems confident that it can offer the best of both worlds. Google hopes ‌it can be the complete app that users need in their day-to-day life.
Over the last couple of years, Google Meet has become the most reliable platform for almost all businesses, thanks to the pandemic. The duo, on the other hand, has stayed more of a one-on-one messaging and video calling app that can do several useful things, like calling someone directly with their phone number rather than relying on sending links.
What exactly is the Development?
Google is favoring Duo’s mobile app as default once two services merge. The Duo app will be updated soon, bringing plenty of Meet’s capabilities to the platform. The current Meet app will be renamed “Meet Original”.
Enunciating his views on the latest development, Javier Soltero, the Head of Google Workspace, states, “What’s been really important is understanding how people make the choice as to what tool they’re going to use, for what purpose, in what circumstance
Potential Competitor to WhatsApp
While Google Meet has been outstanding with its features for workspace, Duo has also impressed with its extremely simple accessibility with end-to-end encryption. Many users have grown comfortable with Duo and are using it as a unit, like families and friend circles. Both platforms have worked perfectly individually and Google believes combining them is the best way forward.
The results, however, will completely depend on the accessibility of the app. If it is user-friendly with fewer complications, this cross-purpose platform can eventually become a potential competitor to WhatsApp and FaceTime.
Google’s Struggle Continues
Over the years, Google has tried to develop a complete communication app but has struggled every time, starting with Hangouts, Classroom, Meet, and Duo. All these apps have been under the shadow of a greater platform Gmail. The duo showed some promise, but with their mass appeal, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp continue to be a better option for users to turn to. Combining Meet and Duo can disturb the professionalism factor and may lead to a switch in the platform in mass proportion.
While this move can work in Google’s favor with the establishment and trust it has from people all over the world, combining two platforms that are completely used for personal and professional use separately can complicate things!
Also Read: History of Google – From 1996 to 2021
