September 2025 was Google’s original target for retiring legacy Duo calling, but later reporting moved the timing to January 2026. Google’s current Help Center explains how calls transition to Meet calling, yet does not confirm that legacy calling has ended for every user. That distinction matters: the date was a target, not proof of a completed global shutdown.
What happened to Google Duo and its legacy calling?
Google upgraded and rebranded Duo as Google Meet in 2022, bringing direct video calls and scheduled meetings into one app. The earlier Duo-style calling experience continued to exist for a time as “legacy” calling. Google’s current guidance describes a transition to Meet calls, but does not announce that migration is complete for all users. Google’s Meet calling guidance
Google’s June 2022 announcement described the integration as a move toward “a single powerful Google Meet solution.” It also said the upgrade would raise the announced video-call participant limit from 32 to 100, and noted that Google had introduced more than 100 features and improvements since Meet became available to everyone in 2020. Those are historical statements from the 2022 announcement, not confirmation of current feature counts or limits. Google Workspace’s 2022 announcement
When was legacy Duo calling supposed to end?
September 2025 was the original target in the retirement announcement. In November 2025, Android Central reported that an in-app banner had shifted the timing to January 2026. A January 2026 Google Meet Help Community response from a volunteer Product Expert also referred to the end of January. Neither source establishes an official company-wide confirmation that every legacy calling instance was shut down. Android Central’s November 2025 report · Google Meet Help Community response
Google’s current Help Center explains when calls use the new experience and what happens during migration, but it does not give a definitive current end date or say that the transition is finished for everyone. The available sources also do not provide a count or percentage of users who remain on legacy calls. Google’s current guidance
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How does the transition to Meet calling work?
Google says to update the Meet app. When all participants have the updated app and have received the new experience, they see an in-app prompt and use Meet calls. If those conditions are not met, a call can default to the legacy experience. Google describes legacy calling becoming unavailable after all users have migrated; that is a description of the migration condition, not evidence that every user has already migrated. Google’s guidance on legacy calling · Google’s comparison of Meet calls and legacy calls
- Update Meet. Install the latest version available to you from your device’s app store.
- Watch for Google’s in-app prompt. Google says the new call experience appears when all participants have the updated app and have received the rollout.
- Use Meet calls when prompted. If the prompt has not appeared for everyone involved, calls may still use the legacy experience.
Which Duo features are missing, and what replaces them?
Google’s comparison lists several legacy features that are unavailable in the new Meet call experience. It names alternatives for only some of them; there is no listed equivalent for Family mode, Knock Knock or Mirror mode. Google’s feature comparison
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| Legacy Duo feature | What Google says about Meet calls |
|---|---|
| Family mode | Unavailable; no replacement is listed. |
| Knock Knock | The live preview of a caller before answering is unavailable; no replacement is listed. |
| Moments | Unavailable; Google suggests taking an on-device screenshot instead. |
| Mirror mode | Unavailable; no replacement is listed. |
| Low light mode | Unavailable; video lighting adjustment and Portrait touch-up are alternatives for some users. |
| Data saving mode | Unavailable; Meet saver mode is the listed alternative. |
What does Meet calling add?
Google lists in-call chat, live captions, screen sharing, stackable effects, add-ons, hand raising, and improved layouts for tablets and foldable tablets among the Meet call experience’s capabilities. Some premium features depend on a user’s Workspace edition or Google One subscription. For Workspace users, an administrator controls access to in-call chat. Google’s Meet and legacy-call comparison
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Meet calls default to making users reachable at their email address. In Duo, users could choose whether they could be reached by phone number, email, or both. For personal-account users who want to narrow incoming calls, Google offers the “Only contacts can call me” setting. Google’s comparison of calling experiences
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Call history also differs: Google says Meet call history is synced, while legacy call history was stored only on the device where the call was made. The old Duo messages feature is no longer available. Meet’s in-call chat is a separate feature, and Workspace administrators can control whether their users have access to it. Google’s feature comparison
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How does encryption differ?
Google says legacy calls are always end-to-end encrypted. Meet calls are cloud encrypted by default, which supports expanded cloud-encrypted features. Google’s comparison describes an additional-encryption option for personal users that disables some cloud features. These are different encryption modes and feature trade-offs; they do not support a blanket claim that one experience is categorically more secure in every respect. Google’s encryption and feature comparison
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What should you do if an old Duo feature or message is gone?
- If Meet calling has appeared, check Google’s feature comparison to see whether the old feature is unavailable or has a named alternative.
- For Moments, use an on-device screenshot. For low-light video, try the lighting adjustment or Portrait touch-up where available; for data saving, try Meet saver mode.
- If old Duo messages are missing, note that Google identifies the messages feature as no longer available; Meet in-call chat is distinct and may be controlled by a Workspace administrator.
- If you still see legacy calling, update Meet and check for the in-app prompt. Google’s published guidance does not establish that all users have completed migration.
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