Google Duo Video Call PC Archives

Six years after Apple launched its video calling service, Google finally has an answer for FaceTime.

On Tuesday, the search giant released Duo, its new video calling app, and I gave it a test run. Google designed Duo to be like FaceTime — easy to use. As with Apple’s app, users can simply tap on a friend’s name from their address book and connect.

“Video calling is the next best thing to being with someone in person, but too often it can be a frustrating or complicated experience,” Justin Uberti, a principal software engineer, wrote on Google’s company blog site. “Duo takes the complexity out of video calling, so that you can be together in the moment wherever you are.”

Duo has one big advantage over FaceTime — it allows Android users to place video calls to iPhone owners and vice versa. FaceTime only works on Apple devices.

Google also gave Duo a cool feature that FaceTime lacks. Dubbed Knock Knock, it offers a kind of preview of the video call. Knock Knock allows the recipient of a call to see a live view of the person placing the call to get a sense not only of who is calling but why.

And Duo has a simpler initial view than FaceTime. Where FaceTime’s home screen offers a list of contacts users have recently called, Duo show users a view of themselves and a big “video call” button. If users tap on that button, they’ll see a list of friends who they can call on the app.

If they’ve placed calls recently, they’ll also see thumbnail pictures of the friends they’ve contacted on the home screen. Those pictures act as buttons that allow them to make a quick follow-up video call.

But in general, the app works much like FaceTime. Like Apple’s app, it’s only used for calling; users can’t send text messages through it. As with FaceTime interactions, Duo encrypts calls, so users don’t have to worry about someone spying on their conversations. And as with FaceTime, Duo automatically identifies people in users’ address books who can be reached through the app.

On Tuesday, I did a quick test of Duo, which Google announced in May at its annual developer conference. It worked mostly as advertised. My wife was able to easily place a call from her iPhone to mine using the app. I was able to return her call quickly by simply tapping on a thumbnail picture button on the Duo home screen.

The video was generally smooth, although there was a hiccup in it. The app is supposed to be able to keep a video call going even if your phone switches from Wi-Fi to a cellular network. But while talking with my daughter, the video of me cut out when I turned off my Wi-Fi radio. I was able to see her, but she could only hear me. My video resumed when I turned my Wi-Fi radio back on.

Google is no stranger to video calling. Users of Google Talk could place video calls on their PCs eight years ago. Google Hangouts, which the company launched three years ago, allows users to connect on PCs and mobile devices and can be used for video conferences involving multiple people.

And users of Google’s Android operating system have numerous choices for video calling apps, including Skype, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat. Cell providers Verizon and T-Mobile also offer video calling features for Android phones.

But until now, Android users haven’t had something as easy and ubiquitous to use for video chats as FaceTime. While Hangouts comes preinstalled on most devices, it’s a much more complicated app that can be difficult to use.

With Skype, Facebook and other apps, users can typically only place video calls to people who are using the same app. And in some cases users have to know a person’s often idiosyncratic logon name to connect.

And the cellphone video services generally allow users to place video calls only to other users who have certain phones that are connected to the same cellular network.

While Duo may be aimed at FaceTime, I’m not convinced it’s going to convince iPhone users to switch to Android. But if it gets enough of a following, it could make it easier for iPhone users to at least consider making the move.

Still, FaceTime, which debuted with Apple’s iPhone 4 back in 2010, retains some advantages over Duo. Apple offers it for Mac computers, while Duo isn’t available for the Mac or Windows PCs. FaceTime allows users to place audio-only calls, while Duo is focused on video ones. And FaceTime users can connect to people even if they don’t know their phone number; FaceTime also recognizes their email address.

Duo comes as chat apps in general are becoming a major battleground among tech firms. In addition to allowing users to make video calls and send text messages, a new generation of messaging apps is allowing users to do everything from make hotel reservations to order pizza. Such apps are also building in “bots,” automated services that can answer questions or perform other features.

WeChat, which offers users a collection of such features, has become popular in its native China. American technology companies are trying to get up to speed. Google has a new advanced text messaging app called Allo in the works that it announced at the same time as Duo. Earlier this year, Microsoft, Facebook and Apple each announced upgrades that will bring bots and other advanced features to their messaging apps.

Chat bots and other advanced messaging features pose a potential threat to Android and Apple’s iOS that’s similar to what Microsoft’s Windows faced from web browsers. Because users can potentially accomplish most of their everyday tasks within one particular app, it wouldn’t matter as much which phone they were using, what operating system it was running or which other apps are available for it.

Contact Troy Wolverton at 408-840-4285 or twolverton@bayareanewsgroup.com. Follow him at www.mercurynews.com/troy-wolverton or Twitter.com/troywolv.

Classified as the most popular video calling app today, Google Duo is considered Google's breakthrough when it now offers more video calling features right on the computer. Previously to conduct video calls you need to install Google Duo on Android, iOS. But now we can do it right on the computer without having to install any software.

This will definitely make it easier for users to communicate with relatives and friends via video. The following article will guide you how to call Google Duo video on the web.

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Guide to calling Google Duo video on PC

Step 1:

First of all we need to access our Google account to use. Then click on the link below.

1. https://duo.google.com/

Step 2:

In the first interface, if you have used Duo, select I used Duo to login, if not, choose I just joined Duo.

The user is then required to enter a phone number to create an account and receive a verification code sent later. Click on Get verification code .

Step 3:

Next we get the message if we want to receive a call on the browser, click OK to enter the interface.

On Chrome browser users need to turn on the Notifications section to notify Chrome when you receive a call.

Step 4:

Next, the interface will display the saved contacts if you have saved them on the Google Duo application, click the search bar to find the account faster.

If you want to contact an unsaved number, just enter the number and press Start call .

Step 5:

When you are asked to make a voice or video call, tap Video call .

Google Duo will immediately require users to allow the use of microphones and cameras to make video calls on the browser, click Allow .

Step 6:

Immediately the connection screen will display as below. The phone number you call is displayed on the screen.

For the recipient of the call, they are also required to allow the use of microphones and webcams, followed by the video call interface with the incoming phone number, press the Accept button if you want to receive the call.

At the same time on the interface on their computers also receive a pop-up call notification as shown below with a video calling contact.

Step 7:

During the video call process on Google Duo, you can turn on or off the microphone, turn on and off the webcam, rotate the call screen horizontally or vertically, enlarge the screen if you want. To stop the call, press the End call button.

At the end, you will see the video call time with 2 options to remove the contact from the list, or block this contact.

In general, Google Duo call video calling feature on computers is not so different when we do it on the phone. With saved numbers, users can still add, delete contacts, make phone calls, . if desired.

I wish you all success!