As Google Duo continues to chase the tail of the video conference call giant Zoom, they may be focusing more on the personal side of calls rather than the business/corporate kind. The video chat continues to introduce new features that would make it easier and more fun to get in touch with loved ones during these times when it’s the only way to keep in touch. Duo will soon let you make those group calls on the web and may even be increasing the limit to 32.
Google will soon let you make Duo calls from the web in a Chrome-only “preview” and will have a better layout so you can accommodate multiple participants. To make it easier for people to join your call, you can invite anyone by sending them a link. The only requirement is that they have a Google account to be able to join. This seems like an official announcement for the fact that people can sign up for Duo through their Google account, not just a phone number. This has previously been available but not formally announced.
Google is also working on increasing the limit of participants on Duo to 32, according to Android Police. Previously, they already increased participants from 8 to 12 but that is probably not enough as various family members and friends would sometimes like to get in on that video call action. Considering that Zoom lets up to 100 people participate, this is still a small number. But as we said, they are more for personal calls rather than business calls, so 32 may be a good number for now.
Duo is also adding some small but fun features like a family mode where you get to doodle stuff while video chatting with loved ones. You can also add some fun effects and masks like astronauts, cats, etc. When you start a video call, tap on the menu and choose Family to start with the fun things. The masks and effects are also available for one-on-one calls on the Android app.
Making group calls from the web and the 32 participant limit will be rolling out soon but no specific date has been indicated. But if they want to catch up with Zoom, this has to happen really soon.
