A recent Google panel survey indicates that users in India believe the most meaningful interactions happen face to face. According to the survey, over 40% Indians aged over 18 said they video call in order to have a meaningful conversation and spend quality time with a loved one. With over 37% of the Indian population having moved away from the homes they were born into, it is no surprise that the need for technology to bridge distance is even more pronounced in India. And Google Duo’s mission is to help Indians to do just that, through simple, high-quality video calls.
India is the largest market for Google Duo, and what’s heartening is that this usage is being driven not just by people in big cities, but from all parts of the country: nearly 60% of all Duo calls made in India include someone outside of the top eight cities.
Shweta Vaidya, Product Manager, Google Duo, said, “India is already the largest market for Duo globally, and we’re committed to building for India, helping people have a seamless and delightful experience connecting with their loved ones face to face. As a part of that commitment, we are happy to announce two new features on Duo today: Group Calling and Data Saving Mode.”
Group Calling. We recognize that some moments are best shared with a group of your loved ones simultaneously, be it to plan something or just laugh out loud together. India will be one of the first countries to receive this new feature. Now you can start a group Duo call involving up to eight people. With this new feature, groups of friends and family can be together easier than ever.
Data Saving Mode. We recognize that there are times when users need to be mindful of their data usage, or to limit data usage while video calling to make it easier to multitask on other apps. We want to enable people to experience seamless, high quality video calling, without having to worry about data consumption. By simply setting up Data Saving Mode in the application settings, users may reduce data usage by up to 50 percent.
We are truly excited to see how Duo callers will use these new features, and as we did with the launch of the Holi video effects earlier this year do look forward to many more such India-first Duo experiences coming up. These features are available in India for Duo users on Android starting today, and will be coming soon to iOS.
Prashant Chaudhary
An android fan and A Computer Engineer who fell in love with the world of Internet Marketing. Worked on different SEO techniques for small to large Internet properties at Initial days of my Career. I am in love with my passion for Blogging and running several blogs in variety of category.
