Google announced on Wednesday that it is merging two of its video communications services, Duo and Meet, into a single solution for video calling and meetings.
The tech titan will bring features from its newer video conferencing solution Meet to Duo, which has been a cross-platform video calling service for over five years. It will also rename the Duo app to Google Meet and make it “free to everyone” later this year.
“If you are a Duo user, simply ensure you have the latest version of Duo installed on your device,” Google wrote in a blog post.
Along with Meet’s features, the Duo mobile app will be integrated with other tools such as Gmail, Google Calendar, Assistant, and Messages. It will also keep features like group calls for up to 32 people, doodles, masks, and fun effects.
Google said it has made significant investments in both Duo and Meet, which are used by millions of people worldwide, and revealed plans to integrate the two services.
Since its initial release in 2020, Meet has received several feature updates to improve users’ meeting experiences, including virtual backgrounds and effects, live captions, auto-light adjustments and noise cancellation, moderation controls, and the ability to schedule meetings.
According to the company, the single video communications solution will be available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite basic and business customers, and all users with personal Google accounts.