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Google Duo wants to make sure it remains competitive among the best video chat apps as the demand for video conferencing and calling increases as people stay home from quarantine. To that end, Google announced that Duo is rolling out four new features, including an increase in the maximum group size for a video call.
Google Duo was already a popular app for video calls, especially on Android devices (also available on iOS). In a blog post, Google boasted that Duo is growing further: More than 10 million new people subscribe to the service every week. In many countries, call minutes have increased more than tenfold. You may be among those millions who recently learned how to use Google Duo.
But Google Duo needs to evolve to keep up with the likes of Zoom and Skype. The first new feature that is implemented is the ability to take a snapshot of the participants on a current call. This is done through Duo moments, so you must have that setting enabled. The composite snapshot is different from a screenshot you take with your phone, as a screenshot will only show participants in plain view.
Then, next week, Duo will introduce new video codec technology to improve call quality and reliability, even if it is low on bandwidth. After that, Google Duo will update its messaging system, which allows you to send video and voice messages when you can’t speak live. Soon, you will have the option to automatically save your messages instead of expiring after 24 hours.
The last, but not least, new feature is that Google Duo will again expand the size of the group of video calls. They recently increased the number of callers from eight to 12. Now they are increasing it from 12 to an undetermined number. Google said the service has seen an eightfold increase in group calls. Forget about Zoom happy hour; It’s time for a Google Duo party.
Since everyone stays home and is subject to quarantine regulations, video calling applications and video conferencing services have seen a huge increase in demand. To attract these new users, many are implementing improvements and enhancements. A recent beta version of WhatsApp doubles the maximum number of people in video calls. Google Meet added a gallery view, one of Zoom’s best features. And that company addresses Zoom’s privacy and security concerns.
