Google launches Duo, a simpler video calling app than Hangouts
Duo is a simple video calling app that isn’t just for Android—it will run on iOS as well. It will complement Allo, a similar messaging app that’s partially powered by Google Assistant. Both apps will be available later this summer.
“We challenged ourselves to develop a video calling experience that could feel magical every time for everyone,” Erik Kay, an engineering director at Google, said at the Google I/O conference in Mountain View.
Duo performs well even on slow networks. It’s encrypted, and based on your phone number. Duo works wherever you are, Kay said, and it proactively monitors network quality several times a second and switches seamlessly between Wi-Fi and cellular. Duo is powered by two Web codecs: WebRTC, and QUIC.
Duo also has an interesting and potentially controversial feature: “Knock Knock,” which shows you a live video stream of the caller before the connection is actually initiated. “Not only can you see who’s calling, but why they’re calling, and what they’re up to: A smile, a beach, a newborn baby,” Kay said.
According to a video Google posted of the new feature, however, Duo appears to be sort of like a live contact page rather than a peep into another person’s life—sort of like a friend waving a pair of concert tickets at you through a window.
Once you pick up, Duo puts you right into the call. “Duo totally changes what it’s like to receive a video call,” Kay said.
What does this mean for Google Hangouts, Google’s existing video app We don’t know quite yet. It’s likely that the two will coexist—one for group calling, and Duo for more direct communication.