Google Duo can call Android users who don’t have the app installed

Google has made it possible with its video calling application Duo to call Android users while they have not installed the Duo application themselves. This works with a technology called Google App Preview Messaging.

The new functionality was noted by Android Police, who also demonstrated how an Android user who does not have Duo installed will receive a video call. After ending the conversation, the Duo-less Android user is given the option to still install the application. Incidentally, the functionality also works with conventional audio calls.

Video calling with interlocutors who do not have Duo installed only works on Android, so it cannot be done with iPhone users. That’s because it uses a technology called Google App Preview Messaging. Introduced some time ago, this technique makes it possible to communicate with other Android users without the need for both contacts to have the same app.

App Preview Messaging is an api that should be made available to all developers, but for now it is only available to a limited extent. It is unclear when all application developers will have access to the api. Incidentally, it only works if users have their phone number linked to their Google account, which will be the case for many Android users. However, Android Police notes that the ability to call Duo-less people is far from working for every contact.