Google announced with a new statement that it plans to combine video calling applications Duo and Meet on a single platform. The company will begin adding Meet features to Duo in the next few weeks. With the addition of these features, it will make the app that has been designed so far to prioritize personal video calls easily available for scheduling meetings. Other features that will make their way to Duo include virtual backgrounds, live content sharing, and in-meeting text chat support.
Also, Google promises that features Duo users know and love won’t be lost, like the ability to apply filters and effects to your searches. Your call history, contacts and messages will not disappear from the app.
Once this merger is complete, Google will rename the mobile versions of both apps and Duo will be called Meet, while the existing Meet app will be called Meet Original. The old Meet app (Meet Original) will be discontinued after a while, the company told The Verge.
Google believes that combining the two apps will ultimately benefit users. The company says the two apps will work much better together and can better respond to changing needs. Of course, the hard part for Google will be finding a way to integrate the two apps without making the resulting service feel overwhelming. Many people love Duo for its simplicity, and the sudden addition of too many features and complexity can cause these users to look for another solution.
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