Google Meet vs Google Hangouts vs Google Duo - Pocket-lint

Google Duo will let you place voice or video calls to contacts via phone numbers or email addresses. You can leave video messages for those who ... 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(Pocket-lint)-Googlehashadawiderangeofvideoandchatsolutionsovertheyears,manydiscontinuedandmanyoverlappingintheiroffering.ThecurrentselectionisGoogleMeet,GoogleHangoutsandGoogleDuo.Butwhichappshouldyoubeusingandwhatdotheyeachoffer?We'rewalkingyouthroughthedifferencestohelpyoudecide.  GoogleGoogleMeetGoogleMeethashadanamechange,previouslyknownasGoogleHangoutsMeet.ItstartedlifeastheenterprisegroupvideoconferencingsolutionthatGoogleoffered.ItisavailabletoallGoogleWorkspace(formerlyGSuite)users,i.e.,thosebusinessesorschoolsthatpayforGoogleservicesfortheirusers.Itis,essentially,Google'sversionofZoom,cominginthreetiers-GoogleMeet,GoogleWorkspaceEssentialsandGoogleWorkspaceEnterprise.However,GooglemadeGoogleMeetavailabletoanyonewithaGoogleaccount,soit'sfreetothepublic,offeringupdate100callerswithnotimelimit,upuntil28June2021.ThismakesGoogleMeetmuchmorewidelyavailable.Youcanaccessitonmeet.google.com.GoogleMeetsitsalongsideGoogleChataspartofthecommunicationsolutiondesignedforbusinesses,withGoogleChatbeinganalternativetoaservicelikeSlack.UnderstandingGoogleMeetandGoogleChatiseasierwhenyouconsiderthepreviousnames-GoogleHangoutsMeetandGoogleHangoutsChat.Essentially,theyaregrown-upversionsofGoogleHangouts,whichistheconsumersolution.YoucanaccessChatonchat.google.com.Recently,GoogleMeetwasintegratedintoGmail,soyoucanaccesstheservicedirectlythroughthemailapp.WhatareGoogleMeetandChatandhowdotheywork?FeaturesGoogleMeetisallaboutvideoconferencingonthelargescale.Atafreelevelyougetsupportupto100participants,butthere'ssupportforupto250participantsor100,000viewersonalivestreamatthetopEnterpriselevel.GooglehasbeenaddingfunctionstoGoogleMeettomakeitmoreconsumerfriendly,addingcontrols,agalleryview,moreadvancedscreensharingoptions,includingindividualChrometabs-althoughsomeofthesecontrolsaren'tasgranularasZoomwhenitcomestoparticipantcontrolandscreensharing. Googlepushesthesecurityangle,however,sayingthatit'sencryptedintransmissionaswellasencryptedwhensavedonGoogleDrive.Itsupportsvideoupto720pandanyonewithaGoogleaccountcanjoinaGoogleMeet.SupporteddevicesGoogleMeetrunsinabrowserwithnoneedforplug-insordesktopapps.ThereareappsforAndroidandiOSdevices.Googlesaysthatrunningincommonbrowsersmakesitmoresecure.PricingUntil28June2021,GoogleMeetisfreetoallGoogleAccountholders.GoogleMeetisavailabletoGoogleWorkspaceusers,startinga£4.14/$6amonthperuserforBusinessStarter,£8.28/$12amonthforBusinessStandardor£13.80/$18amonthforBuisnessPlus,withtheEnterprisetierpricedonanindividualbasis.  UnsplashGoogleHangoutsGoogleHangoutswasannouncedin2013,spinningoutofGoogle+.ItwasintegratedintoGmailandotherGoogleapplicationsasacommunicationtool,joinedbyGoogleHangoutsMeetandHangoutsChat,forWorkspacecustomers,whichnowrunwithouttheHangoutsinthename,suggestingthatHangoutswillsoonbephasedout.Theservicecanbeaccessedathangouts.google.com.TalkofGoogletransitioningGoogleHangoutsintosomethingelsehavebeenaroundforseveralyears,withplentyoftalkaboutHangoutsclosingin2020tomakewayfortheriseofotherconsumersolutions.It'sstillaroundhowever,runningasaseparateapp,andstillreferencedasHangoutsintheGmailbrowserpage,evenforWorkspacecustomers.That'swhatHangoutsisandremains-afreevideoandchattoolforGoogleaccountholders,integratedintoGmailandallowingdesktopcallingwithorwithoutvideo. WhileHangoutswasoncebeingpositionedasanSMSconversationtool,theriseofMessenger-withsupportforRCS-hasseenthisemergeasGoogle'snaturalplacefor"chat",butHangoutsstillworksasagroupchatsolutionformanypeople.Features TheappealofHangoutsmainlycamefromitseasyintegrationintootherGoogleproductsandpersistentvisibilitywithinGmail,aswellasaccesstohistorysyncedacrossdevicesmeaningthatHangoutscangiveyousyncedconversationsacrossanumberofdevicesorplatforms. Itsupportsvideocallingforupto10peopleforpersonalusers,phonecallingviatheHangoutsdiallerappandmessagingforupto150users,allofwhichcanbeaccessedeitherthroughabrowserorappsonmobiledevices.LikeApple'sFaceTime,userscanbecontactedusingHangoutsviaanemailaddress.SupporteddevicesHangoutsisavailablethroughabrowserandthereareappsforAndroidandiOS.PricingGoogleHangoutsisfree,allyouneedisaGoogleaccounttosignin.GoogleGoogleDuoGoogleDuowasannouncedin2016asanequivalenttoApple'sFaceTime,pushedasaperson-to-personvideocallingapp.IthasamuchmorepersonalfeeltoitthanHangoutsorMeet. YoucanaccessDuoonduo.google.com.GoogleDuohasbeengainingpopularityasauniversalvideocallingapp-supportedonbothAndroidandiOSdevices(aswellasthroughbrowsers)-makingitanidealsolutionforAndroidtoiPhonevideocallsintheplaceofFaceTime,althoughWhatsAppvideocallingisincreasinglypopular.Features GoogleDuowillletyouplacevoiceorvideocallstocontactsviaphonenumbersoremailaddresses.Youcanleavevideomessagesforthosewhocan'tanswerthosecalls,whichmakesitverydifferenttoHangoutsandMeets.There'snosupportfortextmessagingorscreensharinglikeyougetinMeet.Althoughit'sprincipallydesignedforperson-to-personcalling,Duowillsupportgroupsupto12people.There'salowlightmodethatwillboostyourvideousingAIandGooglehasannouncednewvideocodecstoimprovethequalityofDuovideocalls.ItalsosupportsARfunctionsforcallerstouse.DuoalsohasafeaturecalledKnockKnock,whichiswhereyourvideoisshowntothepersonyouarecallingwhenthephoneisringing.It'slikehavingsomeoneatyourdoor. Supporteddevices GoogleDuoisavailableinabrowser,andinAndroidandiOSapps.PricingGoogleDuoisfree,youjustneedaGoogleaccount.WhatisGoogleDuo?EverythingyouneedtoknowWhichisthebestforyou? AlthoughGoogleappearstohavelotsofoverlappingproducts,it'sactuallyverysimplewhenyoutakeastepback.Ifyouwanttovideocallfriendsfromyourphone,thenGoogleDuoisthewaytodoit.It'sgreatforpersonalcommunicationandfuntousewithsupportforsmallgroups.Duogoeshand-in-handwithMessenger,theconsumerchatsolutionsupportingbothSMSandRCS.Forlargergroups,GoogleMeetismoresophisticatedthanHangoutsandthoseGoogleWorkspaceuserswillnowfindthatMeethasreplacedHangoutsinthingslikeGmail.AlthoughMeetisn'tquiteasadeptasZoom,it'sevolvingquickly.GoogleChatisavailableforWorkspaceusersforteam-basedmessaging,butisn'tdesignedforconsumeruse.WithGooglemakingMeetavailabletoallfromMay2020,it'samuchbetteroptionthanusingHangouts. WhyyouneedLastPasstosecureyourdigitallife ByPocket-lintPromotion · 2December2021 Hangoutssurvivesasanoddoverlapinthemiddle.WiththenamedroppedfromMeetandChat,Hangoutsisnowjustthepreserveofnon-Workspaceusers,i.e.,thosewithaGoogleaccount.It'sstillabletomakegroupvideocallsandgroupchatsfromoneapp,buttheexperienceisn'tasrefinedaseitherothersolution.ItreallydoesfeelasthoughHangoutshashaditsdayanduserswillbestreamlinedintotheothertwoservicesatsomepointinthefuture. WritingbyChrisHall.EditingbyAdrianWillings.Originallypublishedon28April2020. 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