Google appears to be looking into ways to make communication easier by adding third-party video calls right within its Messages app.
New Features in Testing
A new article from Android Authority indicates that the tech giant is currently trialing a feature that would let users start WhatsApp video calls without leaving the messaging app. Assemble Debug from Android Authority successfully activated and tested this feature during an APK teardown of Google Messages version 20250131. The process looks to be quite simple.
How It Works
If both users have WhatsApp set up, tapping the video call button in Google Messages will start a WhatsApp video call. In cases where the recipient lacks WhatsApp, the call will probably switch to Google Meet instead. At this moment, the feature seems to be limited to one-on-one chats, but the report hints that it might be available for group chats when the stable version comes out. Right now, starting a video call in Google Messages defaults to Google Meet, which means both users must have Meet installed, be logged into their Google accounts on both Messages and Meet, and have a phone number that works with LTE calling. Although this setup works, it isn’t always the easiest, especially since many people use other video calling platforms.
Future Prospects
While Google is currently testing this integration with WhatsApp, there’s no official announcement on when it might be available for everyone. It’s likely that Google will first test it in beta versions to gather user feedback before making it widely available. It remains uncertain what the specific requirements will be for WhatsApp to become the primary option for video calls. Will users have the option to choose between WhatsApp and Google Meet prior to making a call? Google hasn’t clarified this yet.
It would also be beneficial if Google broadened this integration to include regular internet voice calls, not just video calls.
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