Google Duo is a video calling app that comes installed by default on new versions of the Android operating system.

Available features and benefits

Google Duo was created to make making audio and video calls as easy as possible. The call of the interlocutor is carried out by pressing literally one key. Only those who have installed Google Duo on their smartphone are allowed to make calls. It is very easy to understand which of your friends use this application - a list of such people will automatically appear in the "Contacts" section after you give the application access to the Android phone book. To register in the app, you need to verify your mobile phone number.

Differences from analogues

From other similar solutions, Google Duo is distinguished not only by strict asceticism, but also by one funny and rather unusual function. This feature is called "Tuk-tuk" and it lies in the fact that you can see the interlocutor via video link even before you pick up the phone. However, for this, Tuk-tuk must be activated for both interlocutors.

About the interface

Google Duo has a very concise interface. In view of this, the application can be advised to all lovers of minimalism, as well as to those who want to call their loved ones via video call, but do not get along very well with modern "smart" devices. Among the settings that you will find in the corresponding menu are turning on vibration when calling, turning on the "Knock knock" mode and limiting the consumption of mobile traffic.

Key features

• video calls to users registered with Google Duo;
• the simplest interface that even aged people who are far from technology will master;
• the ability to see what the interlocutor is doing before accepting the call;
• registration using a mobile number;
• mandatory synchronization with the phone book;
• lack of tools for communication in text form (text chat);
• quite high quality "pictures" and sound;
• Compatible with all modern versions of the Android operating system.

Google has released a new Duo service for video calls, which should be a great alternative to existing applications. How did the developers decide to distinguish themselves when creating the program? Not at all an exciting interface or a large set of functions, on the contrary - Duo is positioned as simple and easy to understand for any user.

Google has developed a new simple and convenient service for video calls Google Duo

The new product also attracts attention with a number of other features related to both the content and the very use of the program. We will take a closer look at what Google Duo iOS and Android is, how to install and use the service.

How Google Duo can attract a user?

The concept of the utility is simple - the developers set themselves the goal of creating the most convenient service for video calls that will work on platforms and provide excellent quality of communication and video transmission.

So, the idea itself is attractive in that the application can be easily mastered not only by an ordinary teenager or adult, but also by older people or, conversely, small children - if necessary, call their parents.

Therefore, Google Duo, which was released in May 2016, has a simple interface and allows you to make a call with two clicks. This cannot be offered by other competitors of the service.

To download the application, you do not need to have or mail, your record is attached only through a mobile number. That is, there is no need for a long process of registering a new user.

The peculiarity of the program also manifests itself here - it is available only on smartphones, and at the same time you can use the account on only one device.

Another positive feature of the service is its adaptation to the Internet on Android and iOS. It can switch from a Wi-Fi connection on the go, if it is weak, additionally use the power of the mobile Internet. In general, the application takes into account both connections and tries to provide a high-quality connection to the maximum.

If there are not enough resources for excellent video quality and voice data transmission, the application will reduce the image resolution, in extreme cases it will offer to turn off the camera. The same thing will happen if at the end. With all this, voice communication will not go anywhere, the call will not end - here a feature of Skype's competitor is immediately recalled, which practically does not work with a weak connection.

Now let's go directly to how to use Google Duo apk, along the way we will consider other advantages and features of the application.

Google Duo in action

Registration on Android or iOS is performed in the following way:

• At the first start, you need to go through a short registration - indicate the country and mobile number;
• After that, a message will be sent to your phone with a code that must be entered in the program to confirm registration;
• Next, confirm the four dialog boxes - requests to use audio, video with photos, access to contacts, the ability to send messages. Naturally, allowing the use of a particular function is a matter of your personal desire. But confirming the above requests will allow you to have access to all the features of Google Duo;
• Note that a request to access contacts and send messages is needed only to search for registered accounts and the ability to invite new people to the service.

That's all. As they say, everything ingenious is simple.

Now you can start using the application. It happens like this:

• You will see the main menu of the program - your image, a call key and three dots in the upper corner to enter the settings;
• When you press the call key, you get into the phone book, where contacts are collected. First of all, users who have Google Duo on iOS or Android are displayed, then all other numbers to whom you can send a message with an invitation to the application;
• To make a call, you need to press the call key and select a contact from the list. If you want, during the call, you can turn off the video, leave only voice communication.

Settings and interesting features of the service

Google Duo has the following settings:

• "Knock Knock" - we will dwell on it separately;
• Ability to activate vibration during a call;
• The function of limiting mobile traffic is useful if, for example, you have expensive Internet;
• A line with your phone number, the ability to remove or replace it if you have lost or installed a new SIM card;
• Blocked numbers - an analogue of the "Black List".

What is the "Knock Knock" function?

If you are in the contact list of the person you are calling, he will see the video from your camera even before he picks up the phone. This is a very interesting feature that can bring a lot of fun when using it.

True, it does not work on iOS devices due to the nature of the system itself - it does not give permission for actions such as displaying video before lifting the phone. Perhaps, over time, this problem will be solved on the platform.

Note that if you wish, you can always turn it off, and if the call is made from an outsider, you will not see his image. You will only see your friends' videos. It was this feature that was promoted by Google as one of the most interesting in the application, and, indeed, competitors among similar services cannot offer it yet.

So, Google Duo for iOS and Android is.

Google Duo (Google Duo) is a free communication program that allows you to make video calls from your Android phone, even with low Internet speed. The app requires linking to a phone number instead of registering a new account. Chat with friends via video call, just press the video call button and wait for the other person to answer.

For those people who are too lazy to chat or chat when you see a person who is more comfortable, this Duo application is intended. Video calls are made in resolutions up to HD (720p). The user's phone number acts as an identifier, which allows you to instantly synchronize your phone book with your contact list. You can send SMS invitations to your friends, relatives and acquaintances to join the messenger. Google Duo features a simple interface, and the Knock Knock feature shows a preview of the caller's video before the caller even answers the call - this innovative "knock-knock" feature allows you to see what the user is doing at the time of the call.

The Google Duo application has become a real hit, although it was released relatively recently, and already over 30 million downloads, and this figure is growing every day. Duo has surpassed its counterparts and left them far behind, thanks to its non-standard functionality. It is worth adding that all conversations in the program are protected by reliable end-to-end encryption.

Advantages of Google Duo on Android:

• press the video call button and choose who you want to chat with;
• integrated call encryption function;
• simple interface;
• the knock-knock function, where you can see who is calling you before you pick up the phone;
• high quality video;
• the program has the ability to automatically switch between WiFi and cellular network without breaking the connection;
• support for different platforms;
• synchronization with your phone book;
• sending invitations via SMS and Hangout;
• register with your phone number.

Download free Google Duo for Android without registration and SMS from our website, using the direct link below.

Very easy to use voice and video calling app. Among the advantages, it is worth highlighting the high quality of communication and convenience. You can download it on mobile devices running iOS and Android. Though GoogleDuo for PC not officially supported. But in such cases, many will decide to install it through the emulator.

Launch on PC

We want to say right away that the Android emulator does not have the ability to run the Google Duo application. At the authorization stage, when a phone number is entered, a connection error occurs. This is due to the limited virtual hardware and Google services. The crash applies to BlueStacks, Nox App Player, DroidX and Remix OS Player. The rest of the Android emulators have not been tested, but you should not expect that there will be no error on them.

What is left for the user? Alas, Google Duo cannot be launched for a computer. The situation will not change until the developers fix this problem. The most obvious option is to use the app on a mobile device. But he's not the only one.

Way out

On a PC, you can install an alternative to Google Duo - a program for calls with audio and video communication. There are quite a few of them for Windows and Mac OS. Skype is definitely in the first place. He is known to all and loved by all. The program is multi-platform, so you can communicate with your loved ones without any problems.

1 What is this app 2 Features and capabilities 3 Setup 4 Uninstall 5 Compare with competitors 5.1 Platform 5.2 Video calls 5.3 Calls 5.4 Messages 5.5 Interface 5.6 Easy to set up 5.7 File transfer 5.8 Overall experience 6 Conclusion

Google has already tried twice to “break into” the niche of mobile messengers. Examples of this are Talk and Hangouts, which have not received recognition. The third attempt turned out to be more successful, because a really interesting application appeared on the market. Let's look at Google Duo, what is this Android program and how to use it.

What is this application

Google Duo is a mobile video chat with a very simple interface. The functionality is very similar to Apple's FaceTime.

Note! Journalist Dieter Bohn noted that Duo is a fast application that is not loaded with unnecessary features.

The developers focused on the fact that the program does not require high-speed Internet, the connection will work even with a slow connection. It does this by optimizing WebRTC and using QUIC.

WebRTC (real-time communications) is a technology designed to transmit streaming data in real time (as we see in the example of Skype, FaceTime, Duo, etc.). QUIC is a technology that allows you to receive a stable signal even if data elements (packets) are lost by aligning the boundaries of data blocks.

Functions and features

The functionality of Duo is similar to FaceTime for Apple products, namely:

Video calls; audio calls.

But the advantage of the application from Google is that it is designed for both iOS and Android.

The main difference from FaceTime is the presence of the Knock-Knock function, the essence of which is that you see the interlocutor even before you answer the video call.

Note! This feature only works if the user who is calling is in the contact list of the person receiving the call.

If you missed an incoming call, a message about this will be displayed in the notification panel with the ability to call back with one click.

Although the functionality is minimal, the blacklist is still present. A very useful feature if you want to protect yourself from calls from any contact.

Setting

Setup takes the minimum possible amount of time.

By the way, pay attention to the permissions required for the program to work properly.

Advice! If you are very concerned about your privacy, then you should refrain from installing.

From the app's home screen, you can invite a user from your contact list.

Now let's look at the options that can be configured.

Removal

You can delete your profile from the app by clicking "Delete Duo Account" in Settings.

Comparison with competitors

Since the program was created as an analogue of popular video chats, it should be compared in all respects with its competitors, which are FaceTime, WhatsApp, Viber and Telegram.

Note! We asked 100 people to evaluate each of the messengers from the point of view of an ordinary user. Perhaps the comparison is not entirely correct, but the comparison is made by the user's eyes.

Platform

Cross-platform applications (created for different operating systems) are more popular than those developed for a specific operating system. The more supported platforms, the larger the audience of users. Accordingly, having an Android device, you can fully communicate with the iPhone user.

Video calling

Making video calls is the main task of Duo. The application copes with it perfectly, even with a slow Internet connection. As for competitors, they are also doing great with this function.

Calls

Ordinary calls in instant messengers are not popular, which is caused by low tariffs of mobile operators. It is only worth noting that each of the applications under consideration has this function.

Messages

Communication through messages is an indispensable feature for a messenger app that wants to be promoted among users. Unfortunately, in Duo there is no way to "write off" with the interlocutor.

Ease of setup

An important factor is the simplicity and speed of setting up the program. Users like it when the interval from download to full setup occurs with a minimum number of clicks. In this regard, each of the messengers shows a good result, but Duo managed to slightly overtake the competitors.

General impression

Based on the results of the previous paragraphs, a general impression is formed. Each messenger has its own advantages and disadvantages. Comparing all the parameters, we get the following results:

conclusions

Summing up, it is worth mentioning an important point again. We compared messengers, evaluating them from the user's point of view. Given that each program has different functionality, they cannot be compared as full-fledged multimedia platforms.

Having studied the results, we conclude that Google Duo is an application that will gain a good audience due to the simplicity of the interface, good optimization and convenient features. But it will be difficult to compete with popular messengers, because some of them have more features and users who are not ready to change the application they use.

What messenger do you use? Why? (Share in the comments)