Google’s Duo will also support audio-only calls soon

A few months after its announcement, Google finally released Duo earlier this week. Google originally introduced us to Duo at Google I/O with the idea that it would make video chat as simple as it could be, and it does, however, most video calling apps also feature the ability to make voice calls. Right now Duo does not, but it will soon.

According to Amit Fulay, Google’s product lead for communication, audio-only calls are coming to Duo “soon,” granted that could mean literally at any point in time. While it makes sense to include the feature in a video calling app, it makes no sense to me considering the way Duo works.

Since the app is already tied to your phone number, it seems a bit pointless to also have voice calls through Duo. The only situation I can see where this would be useful is if you’re in an area with sketchy cellular coverage but strong Wi-Fi.

That said, the functionality is coming soon. It could be useful, it might not be. For the time being, Duo is available now for download on Android and iOS.