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Google releases new app to compete with Apple’s Facetime
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Compatible with both iOS and Android, Google Duo can be used to call between the two devices and is already available on App Store and Google Play.
(duo.google.com/-)
F
acetime has always been a feature used among iPhone users, as they can simply use their phone number or email to video call someone. But Google recently launched a similar new app called Google Duo that also only requires a phone number to conduct a video call.
Compatible with both iOS and Android, Google Duo can be used to call between the two devices and is already available on App Store and Google Play.
(Read also: Google to release own handset by year-end)
Using the app is quite easy. First, no Google account is needed to register; it only needs a verification code through SMS to validate your Duo account. Second, Google Duo allows easy switching between mobile network and your Wi-Fi without disrupting your call, by lowering your resolution when signal is bad to keep the call going. Third, a feature called Knock Knock allows access to your caller’s livestream before you accept the call to see their surroundings as a hint as to why they are calling. For Android devices, Knock Knock appears in the lock screen, while for iPhone it only works if users are on the application. This feature only appears when your caller is in your contact list. Lastly, calls are encrypted to ensure privacy between callers.
Google previously released the news of this app at the annual conference event Google I/O 2016 and provided a beta version. According to kompas.com, Google Duo is already available for users in Indonesia. (kha/kes)
