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Google Duo 17 adds round icon, prepares for camera controls and effects [APK Teardown]

Version 17 of Google Duo began rolling out last night and finally brings with it a round icon. Meanwhile a teardown reveals that Google is working on adding basic controls like exposure and while balance as well as camera effects to the video chatting service.

About APK Teardowns: In this ‘APK teardown,’ we’ve decompiled the latest version of an application that was uploaded to the Play Store. When an app (or an APK, to be specific, in the case of Android apps) is decompiled, we’re able to see various lines of code within that hint at possible future features. Keep in mind that Google may or may not ever ship these features, and our interpretation of what they are may be imperfect. With that in mind, read on.

Round icon

Google Duo, along with Allo, has a rather distinctive teardrop icon shape. Unfortunately, version 17 places that icon inside a generic white circle on devices running Android 7.1 and above. There is also now support for adaptive icons on 8.0 Oreo.

Exposure and white balance

Under the hood, the video chatting service is working on adding basic camera controls to Duo. These include exposure compensation and white balance, with options like cloudy-daylight, daylight, fluorescent, incandescent, shade, twilight, and warm-fluroscent, in addition to auto.

‘Camera color effect’

More interesting is a feature called “camera color effect.” With options like sepia, blackboard, and aqua, it seems that Google is aiming to make the video conferencing experience more expressive and fun, like the countless stickers found in Google Allo.

Thanks Dylan!


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Avatar for Abner Li Abner Li

Editor-in-chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: abner@9to5g.com