There are plenty of ways to make video calls using Android, but Google is making the process even quicker and simpler through the integration of its own Duo video chat app. The company has already started rolling out the feature, which allows the calls to be made straight from the Phone, Contacts, and Android Messages apps.
In the phone app, users will find they can make video calls from the call history and search. The option also appears in Contacts as an icon next to a person's name. Finally, the Android messages app will let someone initiate a chat directly from a conversation. Google said it would eventually add a feature that allows an ongoing voice call to switch to video with a single tap.
There are some requirements for the integration to work. Both the person making the video call and those receiving it must have Duo installed on their handsets, and both smartphones need to be running Android 7.0 Nougat or above.
Additionally, should you and the person you're calling be using handsets that support ViLTE (Video over LTE), then this service will be used for the video call, rather than the Duo app.
Right now, Google is only making the new feature available on the Pixel, Pixel 2, Android One, and Nexus phones. The tech giant says it is working with carriers to bring the integration to other Android devices, but it never indicated when this might happen.