Google Duo's Audio-Only Calls Is Finally Global

Google really can't make up its mind when it comes to its communication apps and services. From Google Talk to Hangouts to the newly renamed Android Messaging, Google changes names, features, and apps as regularly as the phases of the moon. Even its latest "simplified" video calling app isn't immune to that trend. Google Duo, which was designed to be a dead simple way to have one-on-one video calls is now also becoming a dead simple way to make audio-only calls, with the feature now rolling out worldwide.

When Google announced Duo, it was quickly labeled as the company's anti-FaceTime. It valued ease of use over features. One simply picks a contact on Duo and start a video call. That's all there is to it. But just as Apple's FaceTime does allow for voice calls, it was probably only a matter of time before Google Duo followed suit.

That feature was pretty much already written down by the time Duo first rolled out. Indeed, late last month Google started the process of making it available globally. Depending on how fast the update rolls out to your market, you should soon be able to make voice-only calls with Duo.

Making an audio call is still just as simple but with one extra step: you have to switch from video, which is the default mode, to audio in the Duo app. Other than that, it's pretty much the same as before and still has the advantage of letting Duo use Wi-Fi when that type of connection is available.

It's not that hard to get lost in Google's myriad communication services, especially now that Duo gets closer into Hangouts territory. The latter, however, is being repurposed into a more enterprise-oriented platform, with Google Duo and Google Allo, Google's iMessage counterpart, billed more for consumers.

SOURCE: @Justin Uberti