Google Duo Web Client Now Supports Up to 32 People in a Video calling, adds online PWA

Google Duo Web Client Now Supports Up to 32 People in a Video calling, adds online PWA

Google Duo has upped its game over the last two months. In May, the web-based chat app added a family mode with cutesy Snapchat-like AR effects and a doodle board to make video chatting more fun for kids (and bored adults.) Now, Google has updated Duo’s capacity: when using the web client, you can hold a group video chat with up to 32 people. The update to Duo is rolling out with the latest version of Chrome, says Google’s communication suite lead, Sanaz, Ahari Lemelson, via Twitter.

This is the second time this year Duo has increased the maximum on video calls; in March, it expanded from eight to 12. The new upgrade gives Google’s video chat app the same capacity as FaceTime. It’s still more limited than Skype’s 50-person calls, but offers more than WhatsApp’s eight-person limit.

Google joins every communication

Google joins every communication platform ever in a COVID-driven race to put their own improved spin on video calling. Although Zoom has been the breakout star of video calling throughout the pandemic, privacy concerns, interference by the Chinese government and “zoombombing” have tarnished its shine in recent weeks, leaving an opening for another must-have video conferencing option. Duo’s browser-based, device-agnostic chat app is in a good position to steal that spotlight.

While Meet lately has received the brunt of attention in the video conferencing space, Duo is still around for more personal conversations. After announcing a slew of new features last month, Google Duo is now rolling out support for group calls with up to 32 participants on the web.

For the past several years, group calling has been limited to Android and iOS. In coming over to the web today, group sizes jump from 12 participants to 32. Back in March, the limit was originally eight calls, but Google raised it to meet video conferencing demands related to COVID-19.

The tiled UI online for this rounds the corners of every window, while putting portrait and landscape boxes side by side. Google has already shown off a similar Android UI where there’s a six-person square grid up top and a carousel of faces below that you can scroll through.

This feature requires signing in to Duo

This feature requires signing in to Duo with your Google Account — not just phone number — and tapping “Create group” underneath the current “Start a call” button. It will hopefully arrive on mobile devices in short order.

Behind the scenes, Google is leveraging the new WebRTC API as this feature supports the same end-to-end encryption as the Android and iOS clients.

Meanwhile, duo.google.com can now be saved as a Progressive Web App on desktop platforms. Chrome’s address bar features an Install button that adds a dock/desktop icon for the service. The website already supports notifications

The PWA feature is already live, but group calls are still rolling out today.

Google Duo is the highest quality video calling app*. It’s simple, reliable, and works across Android and iOS phones and tablets, smart devices, and on the web.

Features:

Make calls between Android and iOS

Whether you’re on your phone, tablet, or on the web, you can stay in touch with Duo.

Group call with up to 12 people

Bring together all the people who matter most, even when you’re apart, with group calling. Duo now supports 12 people in group video calls.

Send video and voice messages, photos, and more

Short on time or your friends can’t pick up? Leave a personalized video message with fun effects, or share voice messages, photos, notes, and emojis.

Low Light Mode

Duo lets you make video calls even in poor lighting conditions.

Voice calling

Make voice-only calls to your friends when you can’t chat over video.

*Based on Signals Research Group technical study comparing video degradation time over 3G, LTE, and WiFi.

**Data charges may apply. Check your carrier for details.

***Specific feature availability may vary based on device specification

WHAT’S NEW

•Make group video calls with up to 12 people
•Send video and voice messages, photos and notes to a group
•Quickly react to video messages with emojis
•Create personalized notes when you can’t call or record a message
•Support for dark mode