Switching from a voice call to a video call is poised to become much simpler for users of Pixel phones, thanks to a potential update to the Google Phone app. Google Meet, the company’s video conferencing platform, initially geared towards business purposes, has gradually gained popularity for personal 1-on-1 video calls. Now, Google seems to be testing a feature that could further integrate video calling into everyday mobile communication, akin to Apple’s FaceTime on iPhones.
For years, iPhone users have enjoyed the convenience of seamless video calling through FaceTime, integrated directly into the iPhone dialer. With this potential integration of video calling into the Android phone app, Android users may soon have a similar experience.
The proposed feature manifests as a straightforward “Video call” chip, recently observed during regular phone calls by select users of the Google Phone app. Upon tapping this chip, a Google Meet video call with the ongoing call participant is initiated, simultaneously maintaining the voice call. If the recipient doesn’t have the Google Meet app installed, tapping the chip redirects the user to a screen prompting them to invite the recipient to utilize Google Meet for video chatting.
Currently, this feature is undergoing beta testing and is visible to only a limited number of users on Pixel phones, specifically those running version 125.0.613053162-publicbeta-pixel2023 of the Google Phone app. Although it hasn’t been widely rolled out yet, its testing indicates Google’s potential plans to integrate it permanently into the Google Phone app. It’s anticipated that this feature will be extended to a broader range of Android phones in the future.
While this new feature presents a convenient alternative for video calling, particularly through third-party apps like WhatsApp, its effectiveness in altering users’ established calling habits remains uncertain.
