Google Duo increases the number of video call participants
As more of us are stuck at home due to the lockdown as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, video conferencing tools have become more important and more popular than ever. For those who are looking to host video conferences, Google Duo could be worth taking a look at, especially following its latest update.
According to a post on Twitter made by Sanaz Ahari, the Senior Director of Product and Design at Google, Google’s Duo app has been updated where it will now support 12 participants. Previously, the video calling app only supported a maximum of 8 years, but with the update, users will be able to add four more people to the chat.
Video chatting apps aren’t exactly new and have been around for a while now, but like we said, with various countries being on lockdown and people having to work and study from home, the competition in the space is definitely heating up and Google definitely wants a slice of that pie.
We are grateful that Duo is helping users see their loved ones all around the world. We recognize group calling is particularly critical right now. We have increased group calling from 8 participants to 12 effective today. More to come. #AllInThisTogether #COVID19
— Sanaz (@sanazahari) March 27, 2020
As it stands, other platforms such as WhatsApp and Zoom have their limitations. For example, WhatsApp only supports video calling with up for four participants at a time. Zoom on the other hand supports as many as 100 participants, but unless you pay for the premium service, each call has a limit of 40 minutes.
Google Duo, for the most part, does not share these limitations, so if you want a video calling app that’s free and can support small to medium sized groups, now might be a good time to check it out.