It can be easier, and more convenient, to have a video call with someone instead of a regular voice call – especially if you need to switch from voice to video to show the person on the other end something on the fly. Google could be making this happen for Android by enhancing its video call experience in the Google Phone app.
Android Authority reports that some Google Pixel owners have spotted a new feature in the Phone app that allows them to switch seamlessly between voice calls and Google Meet video calls with a single tap. The feature is currently being tested, so it’s only visible to a limited number of Pixel users, but it could be a preamble to a full rollout. And as Google Phone app isn’t exclusive to Google devices, there’s a distinct possibility that the voice-to-video option could roll out to other Android phones.
Before Meet became Google’s designated video conferencing platform, there was Google Duo which was merged with Meet back in 2022. While Google Meet has always been considered a business tool in Google’s services, it’s become a commonplace resource for 1-2-1 video conferencing.
With the introduction of this new call-switching feature, Google could finally be extending the services of its video communication platform for everyday chats, in a similar way to how FaceTime is integrated with the iPhone dialer.
If you’re one of the lucky Google Pixel users who has access to the new feature, you can find it when taking a regular voice call in the Google Phone app. A small “Video call” chip will show above the keypad, mute, and speaker buttons, which will start a video call with the person on the other end, ringing their phone without interrupting the active voice call.
It could be a very useful addition to the Google Phone experience. However, it should be noted that switching from voice to video will only work if both callers have the Google Meet app installed. If you want to switch to a video call with someone who doesn’t have the app installed, you’ll be taken to a screen where you can invite them to use Google Meet along with a message composition button; that’s assuming Google does roll this feature out to more Pixel and Android phones.
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