Due to this pandemic, it is essential for us to find a good quality video calling application. It is essential to video call our friends and family. It is frustrating having to spend this time alone without being social.
It is also important for you to be social even when you are living alone. Whether it be talking to a long-distance friend or family member, high-quality video calling always connects people.
But the hunt for a quality video calling application is always on the rise. But with Google Duo, the hunt may be over. Google Duo is a trusted video calling application by the company Google. This application is available on all devices including Android, iPhones, Windows laptops, tablets, or TV.
Whether it be chatting to your parents who live miles away or your friend from your hometown, Google Duo will help you connect with everyone free of charge. This application has a very simple user interface to help you connect through quality video calling. This simple user interface means that even your parents will be easily able to access this application.
What is Google Duo?
Google Duo is a video calling application with high quality. This application is available for free for all devices. As the name suggests, it is a simple video chat mobile app developed by Google. On August 16, 2016, Google Duo was released in the market worldwide.
It is compatible with almost every device. This easy-to-use app is compatible with Android, iOS devices, PC, tablets, laptops, and smart displays.
Google Duo allows its users to communicate in high definition even if the bandwidth they are connected to is low. This application is versatile as it can automatically switch between mobile data and Wi-Fi on mobile phones.
Google Duo was created to replace Google Hangouts. The application can be best defined as the informal version of Google Meet with high-quality video.
Features of Google Duo
Google Duo has an easy and reliable user interface that makes it an easy-to-use app for its users. This application also considers your safety with its security features to keep your conversations private.
Despite all of this, Google Duo has a ton of features to help you stay connected to your family and friends. They help you make the most of a video calling experience with many fun features that you can use.
Here are some of the best and greatest features from Google Duo to help with your video calling experience. Google Duo includes the following features:
Highest quality calls
Google Duo allows its users to make high-quality calls. This call can also be just audio calls. The video quality of video calls on this app is of the top quality. They provide high definition video quality even in low bandwidth. These video calls can be made from any compatible device to another one.
Create groups
Google Duo also allows its users to create groups with members for group video calling. The application allows around 32 members in a group. You can set up a group with your big family or a group of friends to video or audio call them. These members can call and leave the group calls at any time they like.
Knock Knock feature
This feature of the Google Duo app allows the users to view the video preview of the person who is calling them. They can do this before answering the call. The video preview of the person is live.
End-to-end encryption
Google Duo application contains end-to-end encryption for their calls. This means that the calls made by you cannot be monitored by anyone else. They are secure. It means that only the communicating users will be able to see you and the person you are talking to. It helps you maintain privacy in both one-to-one or group video or audio calls.
Send video or audio message
Google Duo has added a new feature where they allow their users to send recordings of themselves with their video or audio. They can leave such messages of video and audio up to 30 seconds if the user is not available. The users who receive the message can call the user after viewing the message. You can also fun and cute effects to your video message, to make the message special.
Capture photos
You can capture photos in video calls. These photos can be saved to your device and help you save precious memories and moments with your friends and family. You also have options to share the captured photos of the video call with the other participants of the video call.
Doodle during video calls
Google Duo has new features for its family mode. They have a feature called doodle. In this feature, the participants of the call can draw doodles with different colors on the video chat board.
Fun effects
Participants of the video chat can also use different effects such as filters and masks. These Augmented Reality masks can help make the conversations fun for you and your children.
Benefits of using Google Duo
These many features of Google Duo make this application extremely fun to use. There are family-friendly versions of it available even for children to use.
Some of the benefits of using Google Duo are as follows:
● Easy to use
Google Duo app has an incredibly easy user interface. The application is very easy to use for anyone. The app does not have any unknown icons or jargon. They do not contain any complicated codes or anything.
It is simple to understand the basic usage of this application. The user simply has to connect their contact details and will be able to contact people in their phone contacts who have downloaded this application.
● Safe
Google Duo also focuses on providing its users with good security measures. People cannot contact you unless they have your contact details.
The application also has end-to-end encryption to protect your calls or video calls from being tracked.
The application also has the knock-knock feature where the user is able to see the live video of the person who is calling you even before answering the phone.
● Compatibility
Google Duo has a wide range of compatibility with many devices and operating systems. Users can make video calls with someone in their mobile phone contacts who have installed or uses this application.
This easy-to-use app is compatible with Android, iOS devices, PC, tablets, laptops, and smart displays.
How to download Google Duo on PC?
Method 1. Google Duo For Web on PC
Here is a step-by-step method of how you can set up and use the Google Duo app on your Windows PC:
Step #1 Visit the Google Duo website from the web browser of your PC.Step #2 Click on “Try Google for Web”.
Step #3 Sign with your Gmail account (optional step if you are going to use a different Google account or are not using Google Chrome).
Step #4 Enter your real cell phone number.
Step #5 Click on the “Get verification code” button.
Step #6 This application sends a verification code in the number that you had entered earlier as an SMS.
Step #7 You have to type the code you got from the SMS on the given box.
- Click on the “Resend” button in case the user does not receive the text message through SMS.
- Check to see if you entered your mobile number correctly in case the user does not receive the text message through SMS.
Set up Google Duo on a Chromebook
Here is a step-by-step method of how you can set up and use the Google Duo app on your Google Chromebook laptop:
Step #1 Install the app (the Google Duo app are already present on Chromebooks)
Step #2 Connect Google Duo with your Google account
Step #4 Enter your real cell phone number
Step #5 Click on the “Get verification code” button
Step #6 This application sends a verification code in the number that you had entered earlier as an SMS
Step #7 You have to type the code you got from the SMS on the given box
- Click on the “Resend” in case the user does not receive the text message through SMS.
- Check to see if you entered your mobile number correctly in case the user does not receive the text message through SMS.
Method 2 : Download Google Duo on PC Using Android Emulator
There are lots of popular android emulator in the market, but I recommend to Install Bluestacks and Open play Store in Bluestacks and search for the Google duo app and Install it, After the installation process is completed you can start using the google duo app on PC. Icon will show on dashboard.
Method 3 : Install Google Duo on Windows PC Using APK
If you are facing errors to download the app from the Google play store You can also download the Google Duo APK file from the web(https://apkpure.com/google-duo-high-quality-video-calls/com.google.android.apps.tachyon) and install (Click 3 dots on Bluestacks dashboard and upload APK file) it manually by following on-screen instructions. Google Duo Icon will show on dashboard. Click and start using it.
Alternatives of Google Duo
There might be reasons why you might not want to use Google Duo. for those cases we have got you covered with some alternatives to Google Duo. These alternatives are similar to Google Duo. Some of these applications might have some better or worse features but they are all extremely popular.
Zoom
Zoom is one of the most popular video-conferencing applications to come out of the pandemic. This application is used for video conferencing especially in a formal setting.
The Zoom Meeting calls can be joined through a link or through the password and meeting id provided by the meeting organizer. It also provides features of holding webinars where only one speaker is able to share their video and screen.
Many schools and workplaces are now using Zoom as it is convenient and easy to use. The application has been gaining popularity for its security measures as well.
Google Meet
Google Meet is another application by Google. It is a video-conferencing application that is now used by the school for online studies. It is also used by offices for virtual meetings.
This application like Zoom also has to be joined through links for calls. The participants can also share their screen. The users can use Google Meet through their mobile applications or web browsers on their PC.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams, unlike Zoom and Google Meet, are collaborative tools alongside video conferencing, screen sharing, file sharing features. This application is a complete form of collaboration.
This application also supports schools with quizzes, assignment submission portals, personal chats, custom polls, and surveys. This application is best for schools or other facilities that need these features for teaching and learning.
Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger is a little different application than other applications on this list. This application is created by Facebook and is an extension of the Facebook application itself.
This is a rather informal messaging application unlike Zoom or Microsoft Teams. It allows users to chat, sends photos and videos, sends stickers or gifs, audio calls, and video calls. This application also has features of changing themes of the chat and adding on nicknames to personalize chats. It allows groups to be formed and also allows video calls in these groups.