Google Duo

Google Duo is the Android application developed at Mountain View to make video and voice calls making the most of the VoIP communications protocol.

Google's video calling application

As the most dominant company on the web, there isn't a single area where Google doesn't want to compete and excel in order to become the best. And, as couldn't be otherwise, the search engine company has also targeted the video calling space, which is dominated by Skype and is already investing a lot of time and effort in chat and instant messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger .

Google's commitment to the VoIP protocol

And that's why Google Duo wants to be a reasonable alternative to Skype, which is also based on the VoIP protocol. Here's its APK that offers us an application whose goal is to be even easier to use than the competition. Your goal is to try to become more intuitive and simple.

To achieve this, it has the following features that have made it one of the easiest to use voice and video calling apps. Precisely one of the most notable aspects of this software is found in its totally clean interface without any elements that could make it uncomfortable or interrupt the usual use of its functions:

• A simple interface that allows us to contact our family and friends with the help of video calls with a single button.
• High video quality for more reliable and enjoyable calls.
• Multiplatform application to be able to communicate with friends using any type of smartphone.
• Real-time preview to check who is calling before answering.

A free alternative to Skype... but with differences

The thing is that Duo is only available for Android and iPhone for now, but not on other platforms like Windows PC, Linux, MacOS or even on the web to use it through a browser. As you know, Skype is present on all of them, so it's a disadvantage that plays against this app when it comes to competing against Microsoft's product, possibly the best VoIP that we can currently download.

In its favor, however, we have to point out that it's free to download with no in-app purchases. Therefore, when we are not trying to call mobile or landline numbers, it can become a very decent resource that we can use.

This move by Google needs to be viewed from a global perspective, along with its other communications app, Allo. Together, they intend to replace Hangouts, whose API is no longer supported because the app hasn't achieved the success expected in a sector as competitive as messaging.

Requirements and further information:

• Minimum operating system requirements: Android 6.0.