Google Duo, Google's video chat application, launched a few years ago, but it's struggled to overcome the advantage that apps such as WhatsApp and Hangouts had. No matter how good Google Duo is, when all of your friends and family member use a certain platform, it's difficult to get them to switch.
But Google might have the solution. It's starting to allow Duo users to initiate video calls with people who don't have the app installed on their device, according to Android Police.
To make this happen, the search giant's using a Google Play Services feature called App Preview Messaging, which launched alongside Allo, Google's text messaging platform, in 2016. People who don't have Duo installed on their Android smartphone experience calls just like Duo users. All the features of a normal video call and audio call such as Knock Knock, mic muting, and camera switching are present on and accounted for on the App Preview version of Duo. Recipients of the call even have the option to block the caller from contacting them again once the call ends.
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It's worth noting that the App Preview feature only works on Android devices, and only if you've added your phone number to your Google account and enabled App Preview in Settings.
Allo's supported App Preview Messaging since 2016, interestingly. The App Preview version lets you do pretty much everything the Allo app lets you do, including responding to messages and changing the size of text.
Google said it would make App Preview Messaging available to all developers after an initial preview program, but that's yet to happen.