- Google is giving customers extra time to save lots of their information.
- The choice to shut the app was truly made in 2020.
- Customers will lose some widespread options.
Bear in mind when seemingly each American used AOL for dial-up web and e mail?
The corporate used handy out its software program on CDs that had been tucked into magazines and mailed to folks’s properties. My first non-school, non-work e mail was actually dkline@aol.com, and due to how primary it was, I held onto that deal with lengthy after I ended utilizing it.
That was in 1995, and within the 30 years since, AOL’s dial-up service has shut down, computer systems not have CD drives, and print magazines are a lot much less of a factor.
AOL will not be distinctive in being a ubiquitous service that later slipped into irrelevancy.
As soon as-popular apps that not exist
- AOL Instantaneous Messenger (AIM): Launched 1997, retired 2017. As soon as dominated on-line chat within the U.S.
- Skype: Launched 2003, acquired by Microsoft in 2011, retired on Might 5, 2025. Utilization declined in favor of Groups, Zoom, and cellular apps.
- Yahoo Messenger: Launched 1998, shut down 2018.
- MSN Messenger/Home windows Stay Messenger: Launched 1999, merged into Skype in 2013; as soon as a number one chat service.
- Napster (unique peer-to-peer service): Launched 1999, shut down 2001 after authorized battles; model later revived in several kinds.
- Google Reader: RSS feed reader, launched 2005, shut down 2013.
- BlackBerry Messenger (BBM): Launched 2005, client service ended 2019; changed by WhatsApp, iMessage.
Now, one other app downloaded greater than 5 billion instances from the Google App retailer, Google Duo, is closing.
The favored communications app Google Duo is being shut down in January.
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What’s Google Duo?
Google Duo was truly presupposed to have already shut down.
“In September 2025, Legacy (Duo) calling will be replaced with Meet calling. To save your current call history and messages before they’re removed, export them from your legacy calling account and message settings,” Google shared on its assist web page.
That deadline has been prolonged to January, in line with a report from Android Authority.
“It now appears that Google extended this timeline, and legacy Duo features will now sunset in January 2026. We recently witnessed the updated timeline in a warning message shown at the top of the Google Meet app on Android,” in line with the web site.
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When the app sunsets, anybody who has not up to date to Meet will lose their calling historical past and messages.
“To prevent losing history or messages, navigate to Settings within the app and then select Calling (legacy). Next, select the Google account you used for Duo, and then tap ‘Manage legacy calling history.’ Here, you’ll see the option to Export legacy call history. Unfortunately, there’s no way to club this with your new Meet history, and you will be able to share this data in plain text or copy it in .CSV format,” in line with the web site.
What Google Duo does
- Video calling: Excessive-quality, one-on-one and group video calls throughout units.
- Voice calling: Helps audio-only calls if video isn’t wanted.
- Cross-platform: Works on Android, iOS, and net browsers.
- Finish-to-end encryption: Ensures calls and messages are non-public.
- Knock Knock function: Reveals a stay video preview of the caller earlier than answering.
- Low-light mode: Improves video visibility in dim lighting circumstances.
- Display screen sharing: Permits sharing your display screen with others throughout calls.
- Message recording: Customers can go away video or audio messages if the recipient doesn’t reply.
- Integration with Google accounts: Syncs contacts and name historical past throughout units.
- Easy, light-weight interface: Targeted on ease of use with out heavy further options.
Google truly began laying the groundwork for this transition in 2020, in line with 9to5Google.
“This decision is the result of Google placing its consumer communication services — Duo, Messages, and Android’s Phone app — under the leadership of G Suite head Javier Soltero.
After the unified team was made public in May, Soltero announced to employees that it does not make sense for Duo and Meet to coexist.
Key differences between Meet and Duo
- Audience and Use: Meet is designed for business, education, and large group collaboration; Duo focused on casual one-on-one or small-group calls.
- Participant Capacity: Meet supports up to 250 participants (depending on plan); Duo allowed up to 32.
- Features and Collaboration: Meet includes screen sharing, in-call chat, live captions, and meeting recordings; Duo offered simple video/audio calls with basic messaging.
- Integration and Scheduling: Meet integrates with Google Calendar for scheduling and invites; Duo was standalone with no calendar integration.
- Platform and Security: Meet works in browsers and apps with enterprise-grade controls; Duo was app-based with end-to-end encryption.
- Professional Tools: Meet provides host controls, waiting rooms, and attendance tracking; Duo lacked these enterprise features.
“When the transition happens, customers will lose sure legacy options, together with Knock Knock, Household Mode, and Mirror mode. Nonetheless, to compensate for these losses, the brand new Meet app provides enhanced options, together with cloud encryption and assist for stay captions,” in line with Android Authority.
