Google

Google on Wednesday said that it's merging Duo, its video calling app, with its videoconferencing app Meet. Later this year, the Duo app will be renamed Google Meet, creating a single, free video communications service across Google. 

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Before the app is renamed, Google will add the current Google Meet features to Duo. That means Duo users will be able to schedule meetings ahead of time, customize virtual backgrounds, use in-meeting chat, and get real-time closed captions, among other things. 

However, Duo users can also rest assured that the existing calling features aren't going anywhere, including the ability to start a video call using a phone number or email address. All conversation history, contacts' and messages will continue to be saved in the app, and there will be no new app to download.

"This integrated experience will provide users with a single solution for both video calling and meetings with people across their lives," Google VP Javier Soltero wrote in a blog post. 

Google has ramped up its investment in its video communication and digital collaboration tools in the past few years, as the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted people to seek out new communication tools. For Duo, Google recently introduced features like group calls for up to 32 people; doodles and fun effects with family mode; and video calling on tablets, foldables, smart devices, and TVs. Since making Meet available at no cost to all users in 2020, Google has rolled out more than 100 features and improvements.

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