Google thinks that video calling should be as simple as possible, so you can start a face-to-face chat whenever and wherever you are. With that in mind, video calls are becoming an integrated feature of the Android experience.
What does that mean for Android users? Video calls will now be directly accessible from Phone, Contacts, and Android Messages apps. Google is also planning to add a feature to voice calls allowing you to quickly switch over to a video call with a single tap.
As with all new features rolling out to Android, when you get them depends on the handset being used. Pixel, Android One, and Nexus devices will get this video call integration update first. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones will also have it available. As for other devices, Google is nudging its partners to update, but it’s up to the individual manufacturers to decide when or even if it’s worth doing.
Performing video calls using Android smartphones relies on both handsets connecting to a carrier that supports ViLTE (video over LTE). If your carrier doesn’t support ViLTE, don’t worry, video calls still work, but you’ll have to use the Google Duo app. The person you’re video calling also needs to have the Duo app installed and activated.