Google Duo - How to Set-up and Use Duo Video Calling App

Google Duo - How to Set-up and Use Duo Video Calling App

Google Duo is the new, simple video calling app that brings you face-to-face with all the people that matter most. One of the more appealing aspects of Duo is the fact that it doesn't
require a Google account to use it.

All you need is a phone number

Simplicity is the name of the game with Duo and that starts with the setup. Once you've installed the app, all you have to do is agree to a couple of permission requests if you're running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or above, then type your phone number. A verification SMS will be sent to your phone - these were not working worldwide the first day, but now appear to be - and Duo should be smart enough to pick up the code from the SMS and input it inside the app. If not, you can always do it manually.

That's it. Once the code is there, you're inside and looking at your own sexy (or not) face through the front camera window.

If you've ever used WhatsApp, you'll quickly spot the similarities. Duo doesn't require usernames or passwords, not on your end nor on your friends'. All you need to contact someone on Duo is their phone number, which more often than not you already have for all the people you might want to video call.

Part of what made WhatsApp so popular as a messaging client, and then again as a VoIP alternative, was the low-entry barrier (plus free price and multiplatform support). If you wanted to send an SMS to someone, you must have had their phone number, which meant you could also contact them via WhatsApp — and for free. The same applied later for phone calls.

Duo is using this same low-entry barrier for video calls. Compared to Facetime, Skype, Hangouts, and many other services, setup is faster and simpler, and usage afterward is more straightforward. And yes phone numbers might be ripe for abuse and spam, but so are usernames and email addresses.

Click kzeemedia  to download the app