Google Duo Video Calls Will Become Much Better Thanks to New Tech

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google duo

Google Duo, the company’s video calling platform is going to be a whole lot better thanks to a new codec.

The company says that in the coming week, Google will roll out a new video codec that will improve video call quality and reliability. This new AVI codec will also be reliable for low bandwidth connections, which is important for people in areas with slow connections.

Side by side comparison of an incoming video call at 30kbps with the new AV1 codec on the left.

This update is important for the era we are living in. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to work from home. This means that more people are using video calls to catch up with friends and family as well as using it for work.

In addition to the improved quality of Google Duo, Google rolled out a number of features for Duo. You can now take a photo together on Duo to “share the moment”.

They have also raised the limit for the number of people on a video call from 8 to 12, which is particularly useful. WhatsApp recently raised their number from 4 to 8 and it is a trend we keep seeing in the industry. Google says that they even plan to increase the number of participants even further in the future.

Google has also added the ability to send personalized video and voice messages on Duo. They have noticed that people are sending 180% more messages and 800% increase in regions impacted by social distancing measures.

These new features come after Google added the use of AI to reduce audio interruptions on Duo. It is cool that they are working hard to improve Duo for the millions out there. They have said that 10 million people are signing up for Duo weekly and they had to rise to the occasion to meet their needs.