Google’s mobile video calling app, Google Duo has recently surpassed 100 million downloads on the Google Play Store. The app was just introduced last year in Google I/O 2016 and was officially released in August 2016 for Android and iOS platform. The video calling app has achieved the 100 million downloads milestone on the Google Play Store a month before its first anniversary. The number of downloads and ratings itself speak of the app’s popularity and utilityThe Alphabet-owned company initially introduced Google Duo as a relatively simple video calling app with an intuitive user interface. Its streamlined design philosophy allowed the service to be even more accessible than many of its competitors, though its limited capabilities may have hindered its growth in the beginning. Google eventually tweaked its product strategy and decided to allow users to make audio-only calls using Google Duo, with that particular functionality rolling out worldwide in mid-April. One month later, the service started gaining traction again and its volume of Android downloads doubled in the last few months. The sole number of installs given by the Google Play Store isn’t equal to the number of active users, though recent trends still suggest that millions of people are using Google Duo on a fairly regular basis. It’s currently unclear whether the aforementioned addition of audio-only calls is the main reason for its recent popularity surge, though it likely didn’t hurt, with many previous Google Play Store reviews complaining about the app’s one-dimensional nature.
In light of recent developments, it’s possible that the tech giant continues introducing new major features to Google Duo in hopes of capturing an even wider audience and maintaining its recently gained traction. Being a Google-made app, the service is expected to be fully compatible with the upcoming stable release of Android O that’s expected to hit the Pixel, Pixel XL, and compatible Nexus devices by the end of summer. More details on the upcoming additions to Google Duo and general software-related efforts of Alphabet’s subsidiary should follow in the coming weeks, if not sooner.
Google Duo grabbed 5 million downloads in the very first week of its initial release and reached 50 million figure just couple of months ago. In the past two months, the app’s huge eminence among youth helped it surpass 100 million downloads.
Google Duo offers basic yet effective user interface that helps users stay connected through video calls in high definition even with low-bandwidth networks. Google’s Duo app allows users to call anyone from their contact list with end-to-end encryption.
The app offers several unique features which include automatically switching between Wi-Fi and cellular networks, Knock-Knock feature for Android that lets users see a live preview of the caller even before answering. The app also offers audio-only calls, in case you are not up for a video call.
Google is focusing on both its Allo and Duo apps, to make them much more competitive against others. We hope many mlre features to come over both the apps in upcoming months.
The latest that is getting rumored is the web version of Allo. We have received various leaks reporting the functionality to be same as that of Whatsapp Web.
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