Google Meet Fully Replaces Google Duo: What Users Need to Know

Google has officially completed its transition from Google Duo to Google Meet as its sole video calling service. Although the Google Duo brand was retired in 2022, legacy features persisted within the Meet app until recently. The final sunset of these features marks the end of an era for Duo users and a full consolidation under the Meet umbrella.

A Delayed Transition

The deprecation of legacy Duo features was initially slated for September 2025, but was delayed to January 2026. As reported by 9to5Google, the process has now been completed, with the removal of the persistent “Meet calling will replace Legacy (Duo) calling” card and the disappearance of legacy call history and settings.

What’s Gone?

Several features that were hallmarks of the original Duo experience are no longer available. These include:

• Knock Knock: The feature that shared incoming video feeds before a call was answered.
• Family: A dedicated mode for connecting with family members.
• Mirror mode: A feature that mirrored the caller’s video feed.
• Moments: An alternative to on-device screenshots.
• Data saving mode: An alternative is now Meet saver mode.
• Low light mode: Replaced by video lighting adjustment and Portrait touch up for some users.

What’s New in Google Meet?

The transition to Meet brings with it a suite of enhanced features, including:

• Live captions
• Screen sharing
• In-call chat
• Stackable effects
• Cloud encryption

Privacy Considerations

Google Meet calling now defaults to being reachable at a user’s email address. Users can change this setting to “Only contacts can call me” through Settings > General, which corresponds to contacts.google.com.

Nest Device Support

Incoming group calls are supported on Nest displays, but outgoing group calls are not currently supported from Nest speakers or displays.

The Full Transition to Meet

As Google Help documentation explains, the upgrade to Meet calls offers expanded features like cloud encryption, live captions, and in-call chat. Users are prompted to update their Meet app to the latest version to experience the new calling experience. Once all parties in a call are using the updated app, they will be automatically transitioned to Meet calling.

Key Takeaways

• Google Duo is officially discontinued, with all features now integrated into Google Meet.
• Legacy Duo features like Knock Knock and Family mode are no longer available.
• Meet offers enhanced features like live captions and cloud encryption.
• Users can adjust their privacy settings to control who can call them.