Google Duo was launched back in 2016 and has been a well-received communications app coming from the stables of the search giant. Over the years, the video chatting app has received several improvements. Duo then debuted on the web in February 2019. Now, a new report from 9to5Google suggests that the app will receive a picture-in-picture feature for video calls on the web.
As the name suggests, the feature will let users pop Duo calls out of the browser window and let the flyout persist in the foreground as other apps or websites are accessed. This behavior will likely be enabled by a dedicated button in the interface during a video call.
Google Chrome began supporting picture-in-picture a little more than a year ago, so it isn’t surprising that the feature will be supported on that browser. Interestingly, as per sources close to the matter, the feature is also expected to be supported on Microsoft Edge at launch. While it isn’t a technical challenge as such, in that the Redmond giant’s browser is built on Chromium, Google’s decision in supporting Edge out of the gate is a pleasant surprise. It wouldn’t be long before other Chromium-based browsers gain support for this feature.
Picture-in-picture on Google Duo is expected to roll out to the general public within the next few months. The high-quality video calling app recently also began letting users use the service without a phone number on the web. The increased functionality and constant stream of useful features such as video messages, encrypted group video calls, and expected native integrations with other manufacturers’ devices are sure to make the app a viable alternative to competing services such as Skype, WhatsApp, Messenger, and more.
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