As Google continues the big merger between its Duo and Meet video communication apps, the company announced that it is introducing new live sharing features similar to Apple SharePlay in Meet, making it easier for call participants to interact with each other. the content in real time.
It’s worth noting that Google already introduced some live sharing features (watching YouTube videos together, for example) to Duo back in February, and is now bringing them to Meet as part of the merger.
The live sharing feature will allow users to watch YouTube videos together and listen to songs on Spotify or play games like Heads Up!, UNO! Mobile or Kahoot!.
These new features will be available in a new activities tab, which also houses Q&A and poll options, and can be accessed via the three-dot menu. From there, users can start a shared activity; for example, if they wanted to listen to a Spotify track together, they would tap the Spotify icon and Meet would redirect them to the Spotify app where they can join a group session. Notably, the group session feature is only available to Spotify Premium customers, with support for two to five participants.
Last week, Google took the next step in merging both video calling apps by updating the Duo icon and renaming it Google Meet. As for Google Meet, it will now be called “Google Meet (original)” with a green icon. The tech giant has also been adding other new features to Meet, like instant and scheduled meeting options, in-meeting chat, and virtual backgrounds.
While these latest updates work seamlessly for Meet calls across platforms, Apple consumers will already be familiar with this type of social content consumption through SharePlay, which works with a broader range of apps like Apple TV+. , TikTok, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, NBA, Twitch, TikTok, MasterClass, ESPN+, Paramount+, Pluto TV, Apple Fitness+, and Apple Music.
