That's right Duo

Google already announced it at its developer event last May, but it has not been until now when we have been able to test in our own meats the operation of Duo And it is that the new video call application of the search engine companymakes its debut so that anyone can get in touch with other users face to face. A tool that is based on the live video, but that has in the simplicity its most outstanding feature.

Simple borders on simple in Duo even in the first minute of using the application. Thus, all you need to do is match the user's phone number to create an account and start video calling. No user accounts, no email addresses, no profiles full of information. A simple step where you receive an SMS message with a verification code,and that's it, ready to use.

Once inside the application we continue verifying that simplicity rewards the design and functionality of this application. On the one hand, there is its appearance, which goes beyond minimalist. And it is that it has most of the screen to show the image that the camera captures for selfies (our face, mainly), and a lower part where you can start the video call thanks to the listed contacts. It must be said that these appear if they are among our contacts and have Google Duo installed on their device.One click on the contact and the communication starts. The rest of the contacts also appear even if they don't have the application, yes, in the background so that no one falls into an error and thinks that they are active in Duo

On the other hand, as we said, there is the functional aspect of the application, which is also really easy to understand and use for any type of users. This is helped by the fact that it does not have any extra function other than video call During the conversation, three buttons are displayed on the screen: one to switch between the front and rear cameras of the device, one to mute the call, and one to hang up. Nothing more and nothing less.

The video call is always displayed in the best possible quality. And we say this because Duo adapts to the capacity and quality of the Internet connection of both users.So, no matter if you video call from a WiFi network or a data connection, communication is always active. Of course, it is possible that the quality worsen at times or even that the video stops and only the audio of the call is maintained. This happens when the quality is really poor and Duo is forced to limit the video call in order not to cut off the communication An interesting point is to know that the conversations are encrypted from user to user In other words, no one else can know what is being said: neither Google, nor hackers, nor government spy systems.

Knock knock, who is it?

We can't forget about the star feature of Google Duo. And yes, it has a star function beyond video call It is about knock knock or knock knock , and it is about being able to see the image of the other user before starting the conversation.By activating it from the Settings menu, Android mobile users can launch a video call and see what is displayed in front of the caller's terminal before the caller picks up. With this, the creators of Duo want to avoid the confusion and some problems of the usual video calls in which the first image appears suddenly as soon as you pick up. However, this feature is only used when enabled and between Duo contacts, so it is not available on initial video calls, and can always be disabled if desired .

In short, a really simple application that finds its place in a more than saturated market. Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, Viber, Skype and others have been offering video calls for a long time, not to mention Hangouts , also from Google In any case Google Duo is already available to download globally and completely free of charge.It can be obtained from both Google Play Store and App Store, although it may still take several years days upon arrival in Spain.