4/3/2024 0 Comments Video chat googleWhatsApp users can stay on WhatsApp for chat, but they can add this Duo app to their arsenal. Presumably, though, Google knew it could not compete with the WhatsApp juggernaut in chat, so a standalone video app was made, with a Whatsapp clone to go with it. Normally, a company would be expected to include video chat capabilities in its new messaging app-like Hangouts or Facebook Messenger or (eventually) WhatsApp. Launching two communication apps at the same time seemed strange, but the idea was that Google could pitch Duo as a companion to WhatsApp as well as Allo. It used SMS-based phone number identification instead of a Google account, and it was restricted to one device at a time, following the very non-Googley way that WhatsApp works. Here's a quick recap of the long history of Google communication apps: Google Duo launched in 2016 as a standalone video chat app with a "companion" messaging app called "Google Allo." Google had just failed in its attempt to buy WhatsApp two years earlier (Facebook made the $22 billion acquisition instead), so it fired up its photocopiers for Google Allo, which was a straight-up WhatsApp clone. Google has not clarified which products are being unified, but it should mean that Google Hangouts, Google Meet, Google Chat, Google Messages, Google Duo, and Google Voice will all live under one roof. The move comes after Google unified its communication teams under Google Workspace VP and GM Javier Soltero (the author of Google's blog post) in 2020. Later this year, we’ll rename the Duo app to Google Meet, our single video communications service across Google that is available to everyone at no cost." Google says that "existing video calling features from Duo are here to stay" and that "in the coming weeks, we’re adding all the Google Meet features to the Duo app, so users can easily schedule a video meeting at a time that works for everyone, or continue using video calling to instantly connect with a person or group. While the Google Duo brand is dying, it sounds like the Duo code base will live on as the basis for the new Google Meet. Ars is owned by WIRED's parent company, Condé Nast. "We're committed to supporting our users and customers during this challenging time, and are continuing to scale our infrastructure to support greater Hangouts Meet demand, ensuring streamlined, reliable access to the service throughout this period," Google said in a blog post in March.This story originally appeared on Ars Technica, a trusted source for technology news, tech policy analysis, reviews, and more. Zoom, for its part, has seen a tremendous spike in usage, even as it faces scrutiny over its security and privacy practices, going from 10 million daily active users in December to 200 million by the end of March. Tools like Google Hangouts, Zoom, and Cisco's WebEx are being used to allow classes to continue remotely for students of all ages and grade levels. This comes well after Zoom, a competitor to Google's Hangouts Meet tool, lifted time limits on its free product for users in China and made the product free for schools.Īs the coronavirus pandemic continues, many schools and offices have been closed. Those features include being able to have up to 250 participants per call, live streaming for up to 100,000 viewers within a domain, and the ability to record meetings and save them to Google Drive. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
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