FaceTime Competitor Google Duo Gains New Video Messages Feature - MacRumors
Skip to Content

FaceTime Competitor Google Duo Gains New Video Messages Feature

by

Google Duo, Google's cross-platform FaceTime-style video calling app, was today updated with a new video messages feature that's designed to allow users to leave video voicemails whenever someone doesn't pick up a call.


Google says that if a person you're calling declines or misses your call, you can record up to 30 seconds of video (or voice) to send to the person. Video messages can be played in the Duo app by tapping on the sender's icon, and a quick call back can be done through the "Call now" button available after watching a video message.

All video messages will disappear one day after they were first watched, but can be saved to the iPhone's camera roll if so desired.

Sometimes, your mom isn't free for a video call at the moment you're trying to show off your culinary masterpiece. The same goes when you're trying to catch your best friend to rave about your favorite basketball team's recent win. But even if they miss your call, you shouldn't lose the opportunity to show them what you were calling about. Beginning today on Google Duo, you can leave a video message when the person you're calling can't pick up.

First introduced in August of 2016, Google Duo works on both iOS and Android devices. Users sign up with a phone number and can then place calls to any contacts who also have the Duo app installed. Google Duo, like Google Hangouts, another Google video app with a more enterprise focus, has been fairly popular since it launched.

Duo is consistently within the top 20 free apps in the Social Networking section of the U.S. App Store, and with the new release, it's sitting at the number 15 spot.

Video messaging is available today in the Google Duo apps for Android and iOS. [Direct Link]

Tags: Duo, Google

Top Rated Comments

106 months ago
Anyone who has given any serious thought to the future of video calling has thought about this. Apple could have easily implemented this technology years ago (wow, a voicemail but video :eek:). Leave it to second-rate competitors to finally make it happen first...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
timborama Avatar
106 months ago
Not giving Google my phone number! Why won’t they accept google account sign up?!? Makes Duo useless on iPad/iPod.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
106 months ago
How many messaging apps has Google released over the past few years and how many has it killed?
Well, there was Talk, that morphed into Hangouts. Google account required. This is their primary messaging platform. Integrated into Gmail. Accessible everywhere.

Then they released their mobile-only suit, Duo (Video) and Allo (Text) that's based on phone number... no Google account required. Supposed to be for the Everyman and simple, a la WhatsApp, iMessage+FaceTime.

Then they have their slack competitor, Hangouts Chat and Meet, which is geared toward a different market (G suite clients... a la Microsoft Teams, Facebook Work, Hipchat, etc.). Shouldn't really be lumped into their other products- it's for workplaces.

I don't know which they've killed. I hope that answers your question!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProwlingTiger Avatar
106 months ago
How many messaging apps has Google released over the past few years and how many has it killed?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngstyKylo Avatar
106 months ago
This is cute but until Android makes Duo part of the OS on all recent devices it's not going to have enough users to stop people using other apps.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Geerad Avatar
105 months ago
Not giving Google my phone number! Why won’t they accept google account sign up?!? Makes Duo useless on iPad/iPod.
You can use it on your iPad just Google it and you’ll find out how.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Gmail General

Don't Like Your Gmail Email Address? You Can Finally Change It

Tuesday March 31, 2026 7:31 am PDT by
Google today announced that you can finally change the Google Account email address that you use for Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Photos, Google Drive, and more, but this ability is only rolling out to U.S. accounts for now. The company did not indicate if or when this functionality will be available in other countries. You can switch to any available @gmail.com address, and your previous...
google chrome vertical tabs

Google Brings Vertical Tabs and Improved Reading Mode to Chrome

Tuesday April 7, 2026 1:27 pm PDT by
Google today updated its Chrome browser with support for vertical tabs, which are displayed in a sidebar instead of at the top of the browser. The tab layout can be changed by right clicking on any Chrome window and choosing the "Show Tabs Vertically" option. Sidebar tabs feature full page titles and make it simple to organize tab groups. Google has also added a new full-page interface...
Chrome Feature 22

Gemini in Google Chrome Gets a Skills Library for Saving Custom AI Prompts

Tuesday April 14, 2026 10:00 am PDT by
Chrome has been updated today with a Skills library that's designed to let Chrome users turn AI tasks into repeatable skills that can be used on any website. Useful prompts you create for Gemini in Chrome can be saved as a Skill that can be accessed later with a single click. If you're shopping for skincare and ask Gemini about the ingredients in a product, for example, you can save the...