Google Meet Meets Duo Meet

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Google Meet Meets Duo Meet

Google announced in June that the Meet features would be integrated into the Duo app, and that the transition would begin today. Google isn’t technically removing either app; Duo is being rebranded as Meet, with features from both apps, and Meet will remain Meet.

Yes, it sounds complicated, but by the end of this process, there will only be two apps: “Meet Original” (the standard Meet app that will eventually be phased out) and the new Meet, which combines Meet and Duo. You will be able to conduct group and one-on-one calls, as well as hold meetings, using the combined app.

You won’t have to do anything if you already have Duo installed. Google pushed a Duo update last month that added Meet features, and today, Google is rolling out an update on iOS and Android that will change the Duo logo to the Meet icon.

Anyone who downloads the Google Meet app by September will receive the new Meet / Duo combo. Google notes that over the next few months, duo.google.com will redirect to meet.google.com/calling.

If you’re a Meet user, you don’t need to do anything right now if you want to continue using it as it has always been without any additional benefits from Duo. If you want to keep using the original Meet, keep in mind that Google may eventually discontinue support for it. Google says it will notify original Meet users when they “should migrate to the new app experience,” but no date is given.

This change adds another layer of complexity to Google’s web of messaging apps, but it also indicates that Google is consolidating existing services rather than adding new ones. Google announced earlier this year that it would discontinue Hangouts in Google Chat was chosen in November. Last month, Google also discontinued third-party support for Google Talk (aka GChat).