For quite some time now, Google has been teasing and planning the merge between their two video calling platforms: Google Duo and Google Meet, and it is now finally here. Google claims that the merge of the two platforms will offer its users a more comprehensive service that can benefit more of its users. With this said, there is still some confusion around what the naming of the merge will be as well as its functions and the exact benefits, so here’s what you need to know.
If you’re unfamiliar with either of these apps, here’s a quick summary. Released in 2016, Google Duo was formerly a high-quality video calling app made for android, IOS and Smart Displays. Google Duo allowed users to make one-to-one calls, group calls and leave voice memos, so the idea of Google Duo was very similar to Apple’s infamous FaceTime app.
Google Meet is a video chatting service like Google Duo; however, Google meet was primarily designed for businesses and office use. Its primary use was video conferences which can be held and viewed by up to 100,000 viewers within one domain. Google meet is similar to the likes of Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
So now we’ve got that out of the way; let's clear up some of the confusion around the merge. Google has decided to retain Google Meet’s name after the integration of Google Duo, so Google Duo is now going to be referred to as Google Meet. The merge has prompted a subtle rebrand off the back of Google Meet’s logo from a multi-shade green to the generic four-colour Google trademark. Google has still held onto all of the features that made Google Duo so popular such as making calls via phone or email address, effects and filters, as well as Google Assistant integration. This will be added on top of Google Meets key features, including screen sharing, meeting recording, large meetings and the ability to join meetings on any platform: Android, IOS, MAC, Windows and on any supported web browser.
The integration overall makes for a more unified Google ecosystem, and having Google’s collective communication products within one platform was long-awaited, especially with Google Hangouts seeing its final days. Let us know if you’re going to be a user of Google’s new Meet platform and your opinions on this move from the firm in the discussion section below.
