Google Rolls Out Voice and Video Call Features to Gmail App - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Google Rolls Out Voice and Video Call Features to Gmail App

Google has added the ability to join one-on-one Google Chat voice and video calls from within the Gmail app, the company has announced.

gmail calls
Before now, it was possible to make calls from within the Gmail app on iOS and Android, but users had to send an invite to a Google Meet video conferencing call, which was more convoluted and limiting.

In future, however, users will be able to tap new phone and video icons that appear in the upper right corner of individual one-on-one chat screens in the Google Chat section of the app.

In addition, users who initiate a call from the Google Chat app will now be redirected to the Gmail app, highlighting Google's intention of putting the Gmail app at the center of its communication platforms.

The call feature is rolling out from December 6 for everyone with Google Workspace, G Suite, or personal Google accounts.

(Via The Verge.)

Tag: Gmail

Popular Stories

iPhone Handoff iOS 27 Feature

T-Mobile to Charge $5 a Month for iOS 27 iPhone Handoff

Thursday September 10, 2026 3:58 pm PDT by
T-Mobile will charge customers $5 per month to use iPhone Handoff, an e-SIM feature that allows the same phone number to be used on two separate iPhones. iPhone Handoff requires carrier support, and at launch, only T-Mobile users in the U.S. and Deutsche Telekom users in Germany will be able to use it. T-Mobile says customers can use their number across two compatible iPhone models and...
iphone duo

IMAX Reacts to iPhone Duo's 1:1.4 Aspect Ratio Displays

Friday September 11, 2026 4:42 am PDT by
Production theater company IMAX has responded in a mixed way to Apple's embrace of a 1:1.4 aspect ratio on the iPhone Duo's inner and outer displays. The boxier ratio happens to be very close to the classic "full-frame" IMAX 1.43:1 aspect ratio, which comes from the geometry of the company's original 15-perforation/70mm film system. In response to an X post from someone wondering if we'll see...
iOS 27 Feature Dark

Apple Announces iOS 27 Release Date

Wednesday September 9, 2026 10:46 am PDT by
At its event today unveiling the iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12, and more, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released later this month. iOS 27 has already been available as a developer beta since June and as a public beta since July, and Apple today said that the update will be released for all users with a compatible iPhone model on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 is...

Top Rated Comments

Mousse Avatar
62 months ago
Crikey! Google is gonna do to Gmail what Apple did to iTunes, what MS did to Words--bloat, bloat, bloat.

Gawd, I miss the 80's Unix philosophy: "A program should do one thing and do it well."
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
62 months ago
I uninstalled the Gmail app some time ago because it wants to do too much (Meet and 2FA, notably). That decision was obviously correct.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
62 months ago

Only a matter of time before Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint all get Chat, Voice and Video Calling features.

A video call used to be a cool product/service, but now it's mainly just a feature that is added just about everywhere.
Craig Federighi: "Okay hear me out on this one...let's bring back iTunes...WITH BUILT IN FACETIME"
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dysamoria Avatar
62 months ago
So this already bloated 340MB app will get another 200+MB more bloated.

An EMAIL app does not need video/audio calling features.

This is the only Google product I still use and I’ve hated every minute of it. I really need to move all my online accounts off of GMail.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wanha Avatar
62 months ago
Only a matter of time before Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint all get Chat, Voice and Video Calling features.

A video call used to be a cool product/service, but now it's mainly just a feature that is added just about everywhere.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
62 months ago
Oh yeah. It must’ve been tough to try to extract data, while trying to eavesdrop on a FaceTime call with the help of secondary gadgets like Google home. With the call placed via a Google service, it would be much simpler as Google would get a copy of the clear video of the conversation. And yes, it would obviously be “End-to-end encrypted” 😉
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)