Google Just Launched Duo, an All-New Movie Calling App
Google just launched Duo, an all-new movie calling app
Google Duo lets you go one-on-one
On Tuesday, Google released its fresh movie talk app called Duo. Announced earlier this year at Google I/O, the one-to-one movie app is the search giant's attempt at simplifying the often too complicated task of movie calling.
Anything that could be even mildly complicated has been stripped out of Duo. It's mobile only—there is no desktop app or web version—and operates on both iOS and Android.
Rather than requiring users to sign up for, or sign in to, a Google account, the app requires just a phone number to operate. To create an account, it checks the phone number from a device's SIM and then sends a confirmation text to that number. That's all there is to the set-up process.
Likewise, the talk itself is stripped down to its simplest form. There is no group talk option, no add-ons or visual effects or filters like Google Hangouts. It's just a elementary, straight-forward stream inbetween two people.
The purpose of clearing out the clutter and keeping Duo as ordinary as possible is to achieve something that most movie talk apps fail at: maintaining a reliable connection. According to Google, Duo is designed to make its end-to-end encrypted movie calls “prompt and reliable” even on slower networks.
Call quality will adjust dynamically based on network conditions to keep the conversation going. When bandwidth is limited, Duo reduces the resolution of the call to a level that will permit it to proceed. The app can also switch inbetween Wi-Fi and cellular data effortlessly without ripping off a call.
While most of Duo is about perfecting the parts of movie calling that other apps have trouble with, it does introduce one fresh feature to the mix: Knock Knock. Presently only available to Android users, Knock Knock shows live movie from the caller. Since the movie is already being broadcast, calls commence the 2nd the other person answers with little to no delay.
Knock Knock only works with numbers already saved as contacts, so there won't be any unpleasant surprises from unexpected movie callers. And users aren't stuck with using Knock Knock if they don't want; it can be disabled fully.
Duo is the very first of the two fresh communications apps Google unveiled at this year's Google I/O to find its way to the public. Allo, the message app powered by artificial intelligence, has yet to be given a release date.
Neither Duo or Allo are designed to substitute Google Hangouts, the company's existing text and movie communication app. Hangouts, which has been downloaded over one billion times on Android devices, will proceed to exist but will become more focused on enterprise users.
Google has already commenced to roll out Duo for Android and iOS, and the app will be available worldwide over the course of the next few days.