What you need to know
- Google rolled out a new update bringing back the Duo icon for Android.
- The Google Duo-Meet merger started early this month for Android and iOS users.
- Google began switching users to the new Meet, but back the Duo icon in the app drawer to help avoid confusion.
Amid Google Duo's transition to become Google Meet, a recent update has brought back the Google Duo icon to help avoid confusion.
Early this month, the Alphabet-owned search giant started rolling out a new update for its video and voice calling app Google Duo. The update was part of a merger with Google Meet, which the company announced in June. The merger was fairly simple, if not a bit convoluted; the Google Duo app would get an update that removed the native icon in the app drawer for many in favor of a new Google Meet icon — not to be mistaken with the original Google Meet app which is a separate legacy app. Meanwhile, the new Meet would share features from both apps.
Previously, version 172 rollout from early this month seemingly replaced the Duo icon with Meet (which has a four-colored icon, and the original Meet icon is completely Green). However, the 173 version rollout has brought back the Duo icon while also keeping the new Meet icon, essentially giving users two ways to access the same app.
A 9to5Google report suggested that it was seemingly a bug that rolled out to Android devices initially. However, Google later clarified to 9to5 that the rollback of the Duo was somewhat intentional and not a bug, as there seems to be confusion for many despite Google placing banners for Duo users warning of the transition to Meet.
For some reason, the company might have thought Google Duo's transition to Meet on Android was not as simple as it may have seemed (to them), as users still apparently search/type for Duo in the app drawer as a practice. Thus, the Google Duo icon rollback is for those users who follow that practice, letting them launch the Duo/Meet application regardless of which icon they use.
As of now, the Google Duo app that made its way to one of the best video calling apps for many is still listed in the Google Play Store with the original name. However, we can expect it to fully switch to Google Meet sometime this year.
