That being said, Google Duo is actually excellent at what it does. Google did improve the app quite a bit since it launched, and it is now excellent in both audio and video call departments. If you are, by any chance, wondering how to make an audio or video call with Google Duo, that’s what we’re here to show you. We’ll actually also show you how to activate the app, if you haven’t already. So, let’s get started.
How to make audio calls with Google Duo from your phone
The first thing you’ll need to do is access the app. If you don’t have it installed, get it from the Google Play Store (or App Store if you’re on iOS). Once you do that, swipe up from the home screen, to access your app drawer. Find the ‘Duo’ app there.
Once you tap that app, you will be asked to enter your phone number. This needs to be done for verification purposes. Enter your phone number, and tap ‘Agree’ in the bottom-right corner.
Google will send you a verification code via SMS. The app will automatically pull that code from your SMS message, but if it doesn’t, type it in manually. It will be a six-digit code, and it will be valid for only one minute.
Once you get verified, a new menu will open, Google Duo’s main menu. From there, you’ll be able to make calls. You’ll need to tap the search bar at the top, or the ‘New Call’ button in the bottom-right corner. Regardless of which you choose, they’ll both take you to the same place.
Once you choose to make a new call, your contacts will pop up. At the top, contacts who are already verified on Google Duo will be shown. Below, you’ll see the rest of your contacts saved on your phone / Google cloud, and you’ll be able to invite them to start using Google Duo. Let’s say that a contact you want to call has Google Duo, tap the name of that person.
A new menu will open, with the contact’s image, phone number, and several other options. Towards the bottom of the display, you’ll see Voice call, Video call, and Message options. Those icons / buttons are self-explanatory. Simply choose what your action is going to be, and tap the respective button.
How to make audio calls with Google Duo from your desktop computer
Calling someone from your desktop computer is even easier than doing it from your phone. All you need to do is open your browser of choice (the one you’re logged into with your Google account), and navigate to duo.google.com. Once you do that, a list of your contacts will appear.
Simply choose a contact you’d like to call, and a floating menu will appear, asking whether you’d like to call that person via ‘Voice call’ or ‘Video call’. That’s it.
