Ready to use in a moment
Initiating the app is straightforward. You agree to their terms (blindly, as always), grant some permissions, and are brought to the mobile number verification process, a check for genuine users.
Once inside, you’ll see your face ready to reach your friends who have Duo installed.
Meet Knock-knock
Android users will also notice an interesting feature called “Knock-knock” which lets the receiver take a sneak peek at what’s happening on the other end even without answering the call.
This is only for the people who are already in your contacts. If you don’t like this feature, you can always switch it off from the settings.
Seamless automatic Switching to Mobile Data
Google doesn’t want your conversations to go unfinished due to a poor connection. In a seamless transition, the app pauses the video stream to make the voice connections proper in times of poor connection. Also, it switches to your mobile data without loss of connection to keep your talks on the go.
Verdict
Duo seems to be a clean app with one aim, to give users the best video call experience, and it definitely delivers on that promise. But this seems to be at the cost of higher functions, such as conference calls and screen sharing, which is standard fare for the current video calling market leaders. It’s been reported that Google is already working on the app to add some essential elements like voice calling and a call log. In addition, a desktop client will spread the app among multiple devices.