If you noticed a notification within Google Duo in recent days that mentions “Duo is getting even better” and were confused, well let’s catch you up! Google Duo is going away soon, although it will (already sort of did) become more powerful with the features of Google Meet before being renamed to Google Meet.
We first learned about Google’s Meet plans almost two months ago now, where they explained that there was no need for both Duo and Meet to exist at the same time. The simplicity of Duo is no more, unfortunately, so while Google claims that Duo is “getting even better,” that’s certainly an opinion.
Here’s what you need to know about the end of Google Duo.
- Back in June, Google told us that Duo would soon see a big update that would bring over all of the features of Google Meet. That means things like virtual backgrounds, scheduling meetings, live sharing, integration with services like Gmail, and an increase in video call sizes were all coming to Duo. That has basically happened at this point and is why you are seeing the message at the top of Duo. If you go to start a new Duo call, you should see a bunch of new Meet-related items at the top.
- As far as Google Duo’s features and contacts and call histories go, those are all sticking around. Again, this is really just a big update for Duo to get Meet features, without losing the stuff it already had.
- If you still want to access Duo on the web, you can through the typical spots you might right now, but eventually you’ll redirect to meet.google.com/calling. And that makes sense because Duo is becoming Meet.
- Once Google updates everyone’s Duo with new Meet features, they plan to rename Google Duo to “Google Meet” before the end of 2022. At that time, the other Google Meet you already have on your phone will basically be renamed to “Meet Original” and then deprecated.
- And that’s pretty much it. Google Duo is getting all of Google Meet’s features before becoming Google Meet.
That message at the top of your Google Duo app is the beginning of a new journey for Google’s video calling services. To learn more or get specifics on anything I didn’t mention, Google has a FAQ setup here.
Why people keep using Google Services is beyond me. Here today, gone tomorrow.
This is making changes for the sake of making changes. Sometimes just leaving well enough alone is all people want. This is a mistake by Google – just as getting rid of Google Play Music and changing to YTM was. Its almost as if they dont care about the end users, only what they think is best. Google can do better, they just chose not to.
Honestly, I’m so sick and tired of Google fucking around with every single app and service they have until everything is just terrible. Youtube Music is a disgrace to music, Allo was dumped, Duo is getting dumped, they just can’t make up their mind on a single damn thing.
They should just make a hook up app and call it google MEAT https://media0.giphy.com/media/Nhm3DbFiaxC3WTUJyg/giphy.gif
GAH! This is stupid.
Man google is the most clueless company ever in some regards ! They suck at messaging apps(rcs is still far far from perfect) why on earth do they just insist on doing confusing rebranding and merging all the time ? Duo is actually pretty popular even iOS users know and use it. Google is
Disappointing. Google Duo is such a simple yet highly dependable and effective video chat app. I even got my 80 year old parents to use it weekly during the last 2 years of the pandemic and it was great. Meet will just make it more complicated. I wish Google would stop reinventing the perfect services that they do have making them more complicated and feature loaded than what they need to be.
I agree. It was a simple app that I could get my 93-year-old father to use. I am sure the new configuration will be far too complex for us to use for this purpose. Leave simple alone, Google!
Why they keep doing things like this? Just leave stuff alone
Google be Googlin’.
This is infuriating. Not that Google Duo is getting a bunch of new Meet features, but that Google continues to rebrand well known applications with confusing mergers and renaming of well known fan favorite apps. Users like consistency. Google doesn’t provide that…
I agree for the most part regarding consistency. But was Duo really a “well know fan favorite app”?
I would say it’s the most ubiquitous video chat app on Android.
Meet Original vs. Original Meat https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1e004a81eab36294084bb24c03eac10acec415627a8a61475f8f619919613f19.jpg