Google rolls out updates in video calling app Meet for Android and iOS

Google has rolled out an update for the video calling app, Meet, that could make personal calls more enjoyable.

The Meet app for Android and iOS now has filters and masks you can play with -- simply tap the sparkle button at the bottom right corner of your video call to bring up the Effects options.

You'll find Blur effects and backgrounds in there as you would on enterprise and education accounts, but you'll now also find "Styles" and "Filters" among the options in the carousel, Engadget reported.

Under Styles, you'll see lens flare effects and color overlays you can apply to your video. If you want to see the truly fun options, though, look under Filters for cute animal masks and virtual accessories you can virtually put on your face and head.

These new effects are already live and based on our tests, they're available for use even if you start a meeting through Gmail instead of through the Meet app itself, the report said.

As 9to5Google notes, Google has been releasing several features that would make the service a more veritable Zoom rival.

This time, the tech giant is hoping to win over personal users with a feature that could convince them to use Meet for calls with friends and family.

The publication previously reported that Google will eventually replace its Duo app with Meet entirely. This move could be a step towards that, as well, seeing as some of Meet's new masks and filters came straight out of Duo's library, the report said.


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