Google Adds Video Calling Through The Phone, Contacts, Android Messenger Apps

Google is finally bringing a feature that has been in the iOS ecosystem for a while, video calling without leaving your phone app. Apple devices have had this feature for a while and it’s been appreciated by the users as well. Google posted a blog on October 12th to announce that it has integrated video calling feature in its Phone, Contacts and Android Messenger app.

We want to make it even easier to start a video call from your Android device, so we’re making video calling an integrated part of your phone. You can now start a video call directly from where you call or text message your friends, through your Phone, Contacts, and Android Messages apps. Later this year, we’ll also add the ability to upgrade an ongoing voice call to video with just a tap.

Google has accomplished this integration by tying up its video calling app Duo and the ViLTE standard, the latter of which is an extension of the existing VoLTE that focuses on increased video call quality over an LTE network. The video calls will be routed through ViLTE but, Duo will be the fall back option if your network doesn’t support the standard. This move by Google ties the Duo app deep in the Android ecosystem. Google has also promised that by later this year it will add the ability to upgrade to an ongoing voice call to video with just a tap.

There are a few things to keep in mind, the first being that you and the person you’re calling must have Duo installed and activated if ViLTE isn’t used. Next up, you must also have the latest versions of the Phone, Contacts, Android Messages, and Duo apps installed.

This feature is rolling out to Google powered devices namely the Pixel, Nexus and Android One smartphones. Google said it is working with carriers and device manufacturers to have integrated video calling across a wider variety of devices.