Google Duo: Everything you need to know including features and release date

Video calling on your smartphone still seems like something of a futurist’s fantasy, it’s all a little too Star Trek for my liking. There have been some pretty good stabs at it in the past, but it’s never been quite as simplistic and easy to use as I’d hoped. That might be set to change thanks to Google Duo.

While Skype and the like are still massively popular, they’re mostly used for free long-distance calls, rather than to see each other’s faces. Taking on Apple’s FaceTime, Google is bringing video calling to the masses having launched Google Duo for iOS devices and quite predictably, Android too.

I’ve been using Google Duo since release, so I’ve put together a guide on everything you need to know about the interesting new video chat app.

What is Google Duo?

The thing is, there’s nothing particularly fancy about Google Duo, it’s a pretty bare-bones video-calling app but a great one at that. Its simplicity is its main selling point: there’s no fancy Snapchat-style filters or confusing bells and whistles, just tap ‘call’ and you’re good to go. This’ll be perfect for your nosy Gran who still hasn’t quite grasped 21st Century technology yet.

Simplicity is key to bringing apps to a mass market, and with just one big ‘Video Call’ button on-screen, you select which contact you would like to call and it gets straight to it. On the receiving end, the callee will get a handy little preview of the incoming video call thanks to ‘Knock Knock’, so they know what to expect when picking up the phone.

If you’re rightly a bit worried about data usage and connection issues, though, it’s altogether a very seamless experience, with video resolution lowering automatically in response to network conditions, in the same vein as Netflix streaming. It’ll also easily jump from Wi-Fi to 4G, so your conversations should continue while you’re on the move.

When does Google Duo release and how do I download it?

Good news! Google Duo has recently released in the UK on both iOS and Android devices after what seemed like quite a long wait. If you’re up for trying out the new video chat app, head on over to the Google Play Store if you’ve got an Android device, or the App Store if you’re an Apple owner. Just download the app as normal, which only takes up around 7.5MB of storage space, register your phone number and you’ll be good to go.