What you need to know
- Google is expanding Duo to Android TV within the next couple of weeks.
- It will roll out first as a beta, Google announced on Thursday.
- Meet, Google's business-focused video-conferencing app, also now supports TV via way of Google Cast.
While rumors of Google merging Duo and Meet into one product continue to swirl. the company continues to improve both tools independently.
Now, its adding support for Android TV to Duo its more consumer-focused service. As with many other Google products, this is coming out over the next few weeks as a beta initially.
Writing on the Google blog, Google's TJ Varghese, Group Product Manager, Google Meet hardware, said:
The big screen isn't just for work meetings, though: We also want to make video calling your friends and family better, too. In an effort to bring the video calling experience to more parts of your home, Google Duo is rolling out a Beta on Android TV in the coming weeks. With Google Duo, you can initiate one-on-one and group calls from your TV, and if your TV doesn't have a camera built-in, you can simply plug in a USB camera.
The company has been working on iterating its video calling experience. Meet was just updated to support video calls on TVs via Google Cast, and Google touts support for smart displays like its Nest Hub as another feature of note.
As remote working becomes more popular, using tools like Duo and Meet may become more common. The company has seen an enormous rise in usage due to the ongoing pandemic, and these updates are positioned to meet customers and businesses where they are most likely to be in 2020 — the home.
