Google To Combine Meet, Duo Into Single App (theverge.com) 19
Google announced today that it's combining two of its video-calling apps, Duo and Meet, into a single platform. The Verge reports: Pretty soon, there will be only Google Meet, and Google's hoping it can be the one calling app users need for just about everything in their lives. By bringing them both together, Google's hoping it can solve some of what ails modern communication tools. [...] Over the last couple of years in particular, Meet has become a powerful platform for meetings and group chats of all kinds, while Duo has stayed more of a messaging app. Google promises it's bringing all of Duo's features to Meet going forward and seems convinced it can offer the best of both worlds.
It's not quite right to say that Duo's being killed, though. The app, which Google originally launched in 2016 as an easy way to make one-to-one video calls, does a number of useful things that Meet doesn't. For one thing, you can call someone directly -- including with their phone number -- rather than relying on sending links or hitting that giant Meet button in your Google Calendar invite. Duo has always been more like FaceTime than Zoom in that sense. (Google also launched an iMessage competitor, Allo, at the same time as Duo. Allo didn't turn out so great.)
As the two services become one, Google is leaning on Duo's mobile app as the default. Pretty soon, the Duo app will get an update that brings an onslaught of Meet features into the platform; later this year, the Duo app will be renamed Google Meet. The current Meet app will be called "Meet Original," and eventually deprecated. This sounds... confusing, but Google claims it's the best way forward.
It's not quite right to say that Duo's being killed, though. The app, which Google originally launched in 2016 as an easy way to make one-to-one video calls, does a number of useful things that Meet doesn't. For one thing, you can call someone directly -- including with their phone number -- rather than relying on sending links or hitting that giant Meet button in your Google Calendar invite. Duo has always been more like FaceTime than Zoom in that sense. (Google also launched an iMessage competitor, Allo, at the same time as Duo. Allo didn't turn out so great.)
As the two services become one, Google is leaning on Duo's mobile app as the default. Pretty soon, the Duo app will get an update that brings an onslaught of Meet features into the platform; later this year, the Duo app will be renamed Google Meet. The current Meet app will be called "Meet Original," and eventually deprecated. This sounds... confusing, but Google claims it's the best way forward.
Naming the new product.. (Score:2)
Meet up to 100 people with Google Duo?
I almost had a heart attack (Score:2)
For how long? (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
It has to merge first with Voice, Allo, Talk, Plus, Hangouts, and Chat. Then they can split up again. Better throw in an acquisition too, or raise Orkut from the grave.
Re: For how long? (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Does it matter? Google has changed voice / messanging systems many times and users just simply migrate from one to the other.
Re: (Score:2)
No...users simply drop them and stop using this disorganized mess.
If you have an iPhone, you FaceTime. If you have an iPhone, you expect Android users to FaceTime.
I have an Android phone. Duo *should* be somewhat the accepted standard, but it is not. If I ask other Android users to use Duo, generally they don't know what I'm talking about. Instagram is better for video chat than Duo. (and it's not good)
Google has done the same thing they always do- screw over the users as they chase another rainbow. P
Re: (Score:2)
Confusing? (Score:4, Insightful)
This sounds... confusing,
That’s because Google is, and has always been, confused about messaging apps. Just look at their history.
This will be no different. [killedbygoogle.com]
The Verge keeps track of all Google messaging apps (Score:4, Interesting)
and what happened to them: https://www.theverge.com/2021/... [theverge.com]
Ya, but ... I'm confused. (Score:2)
Google To Combine Meet, Duo Into Single App
Duo means "pair" (or "two") and Meet is another thing, so that's three things ... into one app, to be called... "Tribus" or "Unum"?
Awesome! (Score:2)
I can't wait to read about this product getting cancelled! ;)
Now Un-kill hangouts, assholes (Score:3)
Google Chat sucks. On Android, there's no way to kill the notifications from the stand-alone Chat client that doesn't also kill the notifications in Gmail. I get both or I get neither. But if I'm signed in to Hangouts, everything is as it should be. I get one notification from the Hangouts client and I don't have to give a quantum of fuck about what Google Chat is or isn't doing.
Further, Google Chat presents binary attachments in messages as links that open in a browser window instead of in-line in the conversation. This is an absolute regression that makes using Chat less functional than random 25 year old IM protocols.
I might be the only person who still uses Hangouts but I'm sure as shit not willing to switch to SMS or anything owned or controlled by Facebook. I suppose I'm looking forward to the day that I have zero worthwhile communication tools on my phone, which at that point will just be a Yubikey with a really nice screen.
Re: (Score:2)
There exists a separate Chat application you can install, and then you can disable chat in the Gmail app (done in settings per email account). That will probably allow you to control notifications separately.
Re: (Score:2)
It does not. Disabling notifications in Chat also disables chat notifications in Gmail and vice versa.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm also still happily on Hangouts. But the upshot of this is, I used to have many more people in my list that used hangouts because it was so frictionless when you were in gmail or on an Android phone and you could just video call right there. This number is now significantly reduced. Good work, Google.
Because then when they cancel it ... (Score:2)
...people will think they only got bored of one project this week.