Video calling comes to Phone and Messages app via Duo for Google’s Android devices

Google’s chat services are still a mess but it seems that the company is working to improve that mess. Google Duo seemed like a lonely, almost useless video calling app but Google has now given it a purpose.

Nexus, Pixel, and Android One devices are the first to get integration with Duo in the stock Phone, Contacts, and Messages apps. If both people have the Google Duo app installed and activated, the aforementioned apps will have a button to directly start a video call. Alternatively, if both people are on carriers that support ViLTE (the video version of Voice over LTE), it will route through the carrier’s system. In the future, you’ll be able to upgrade a regular call to a video call with a single tap.

Seeing this kind of seamless integration coming from Google is a bit surprising but a big step in the right direction. Maybe the mess of various chat and calling apps will someday be sorted out. This feature will be coming to other phones as well, though Google doesn’t say when. What do you think of Google finally pushing for basic video calling integration? Leave a comment!

source: androidandme