20 Best Google Duo Tips and Tricks That You Should Learn

What makes a smartphone unique is the plethora of groundbreaking technologies it supports. Gone are the days when you could use a phone to make a call and only get to hear the voice of your contacts. With a modern-day Android smartphone powered by Google, you can make video calls. You call a person and you can see them in realtime, face-to-face. Every Android enthusiast knows that nothing beats Google Duo when it comes to video conferencing. It is available not only on Android but also on iOS and other platforms.

Duo happens to be 4 years old now. It is used by millions of users all around the world. It offers a lot of important features that further simplify the user experience. In this guide, I have put up some really useful Google Duo Tips and Tricks. This will be helpful to our avid Android OS users. Also, those users who may have recently switched to any Android devices can also learn from this guide. The tips and tricks are all simple to understand and use.

Related | How to Fix Google Duo Not Working on iOS and Android

 List of Google Duo Tips and Tricks

So, here are the important tips and tricks you need to know.

Using AR Effects

Today all the smartphones are getting laced with augmented reality better known as AR. You can use various artificially objects and communicate your thoughts using them. This is also available on Google Duo video messages. When you are on a video call, you can send artificial thought balloons and messages to your connections. That is definitely a unique and fun way to use video calling.

Using Mail ID to make a call

Normally, what do we need when we make a regular call or a video call.? A phone number. However, with google Duo, we can make use of email ID and make a call. Though this amazing feature is currently available on Duo WebClient, soon we will get it on Android as well.

Make A Video Call from the Web browser

Though Duo is available as a dedicated Android application, you can also use the video calling feature on the web client. I mean in case you cannot access your phone for some reason. Then you can use your laptop and go to Google Duo Web. If your account is in sync on your PC/laptop [the same one that you use for Duo] then the list of contacts would show up. It would be under the tab Connect on Duo.

Add Contact to HomeScreen

This may seem difficult but the trick is pretty simple.

• After you finish your calling session with your contact, a pop-up should show up.
• In that look for Add to home screen option > tap on Add

Send Voice Note to your Contacts

Some times quick voice notes can convey important messages that you may forget to tell by mistake. When I say quick, it means these voice messages should be of less than 30 seconds.  Otherwise,  you can send two voice notes in quick succession. It’s pretty easy to access.

• Open Google Duo
• You should see on the screen, it’s saying swipe down to record a message.
  
• Swipe down
• Then there would be a few tabs like Video, Photos, Voice, etc.
• Tap on Voice.
  
• Press the red button to start your recording.

Video Message

Not everyone may have the time to do a video chatting if it’s working hours or something. So, just the way you learned how to sent a voice message, the same way you can send a video message as well.

• On Duo Swipe to see the contacts list
• Tap and hold your choice of contact
• A small menu would pop-up.
• Select Record a message (it means video message)

How to Call Google Home Devices

Yes, this is now possible on Duo. Here is how you can do it.

• Open Duo
• Swipe up to see your list of contacts
• You should see your Home device is also listed there.

Deleting Call History

If you see no reason to store any call history, then you can delete them.

• Open Google Duo
• Tap and hold on the Contact name whose call history you have to remove.
• Then tap on three vertical dots at the upper right corner of the screen
• Select Delete Duo History > select delete

Making Video Calls from the Dialer App

Yes, you can easily access video calling directly from the dialer.

• Open the dialer on your phone
• From the list of contacts, select your choice of contact
• when you tap on the Contact, you will see a new screen
• It has a phone number and a regular phone call option.
  
• Below that there will be an option for Duo Video Call.
• Tap on that

Call Reminders

Everyone gets busy in their daily lives. So, having a reminder notifying of your activities is quite helpful. The same we can set a reminder for our important business calls including video calls. This is how we set it.

• Simply you need to go to Duo
• Go to the list of contacts
• Upon selecting the contact you should get an option for setting a reminder to call the particular person.
  

Setting Limits to Data Usage

Video calls make use of mobile data which may be spent in a higher number if you continue a call for a long time. So, to control the data usage you can set a limit on Duo.

• Open Duo > tap on the 3-dot button in the top right
• Go to Settings > select Call Settings
• Go to Data Saving Mode. Tap on the toggle to turn it on.
  
• Now, with the limits enables, once you surpass a certain amount of mobile data, you will be notified of the same.

Enable Knock Knock to know the Caller

here is another useful Google Duo tips and tricks you should not miss out on. This feature has been there since the initial years of Google Duo. It allows you to see your caller before receiving the call.

To enable it,

• Open Duo > tap on the 3-dot button in the top right-hand side
• Go to Settings > Call Settings
• Tap on Knock Knock for this Device
• There should be a toggle below. Tap on it to enable the feature.
  

Getting the Call History

Maybe for some legal issues, you may require to have the call history of a person you make or make video calls with. You can get that. Let me so you how.

• Go to Google Duo
• Tap on the 3-dot button
• Select Help & Feedback
  
• under Support, select Download Your Call History
  
  

Blocking the Nuisance

Thankfully, modern-day smartphone and telecommunication technology give us the features to block a person or a number that pesters us for no reason. It’s definitely a nuisance and also comes under cybercrime to repeatedly make undesirable calls to anyone which bothers the person or makes him/her uncomfortable. This can happen with video calls as well. So, to deal with that we have a block option on Duo.

• Simply select the person/number you wish to block
• Press and hold on that contact
• Tap on Block User
  

Integrate Google Duo Call History to Phone App Call Log

• Open Duo > Tap the 3-dot button > click Settings
• Then go to Call Settings
• under that select Add Duo Calls to Device’s Call History
• Tap on Allow to grant the permission

How to use other Apps when A Video Calling Session is Active

This is damn simple. All you need to do is tap on the home button on your smartphone or simply swipe out to the home screen. Then select any other app of your choice. However, the video call screen will now turn into a mini screen and will be still present in one corner of the display. It is in the Picture-in-Picture format.

Deleting your Account

If for some reason you have decided to move from Google duo to some other video conferencing application, then you may want to delete your Duo account. This is how you can do it.

• While on Google Duo, click 3-dot button and click Settings
• Tap on Account > scroll down and select Delete Duo Account
  

How to Change the Theme on Google Duo

Some people are theme savvy. I mean either it has to be a dark theme or any other custom theme that should be used specifically to an app. I personally like dark them system-wide on my phone. We can set such themeing on Google Duo as well.

• On Duo, go to 3-dot button > select Settings
• Go to Choose Theme
• Select from the available themes.
  

How simple was that.? Do try it now.

Make A Group Video Call

With Google Duo, along with one-to-one video calls, you can also make group video calls. This is how to make a group video call. It is one of the useful Google Duo tips for those who regularly make conference calls.

• Open Google Duo
• Swipe Up > tap on Create Group
  
  
• Select your choice of contacts from the list
• Tap on Start

So, that’s it. These were some of the important Google Duo Tips, tricks, and features you should know if you are entirely new to the application. I hope that you found the article informative. How often do you use Google Duo and how many of the features you use.? Share your experience with us in the comments section.

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