It’s been a long time coming, but you can now, finally, make Google Duo calls with Google Home speakers. Before, you could only make Duo calls with Google devices that have screens. So now Duo works with display devices like Google Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max in all countries and languages where Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max are sold, and on smart speakers like Google Home, Home Max, Home Mini. If you have more than one Google speaker in your home, you can also call specific speakers with Duo, creating an awesome intercom system.
The only catches are Duo only works on speakers in the United States, it only works in English, you can only call and get calls from other Duo customers, and you can’t make video calls without a camera, of course. Also, remember you can’t use Duo to make emergency calls. Here’s what you need to know to use the new feature.
Before you can start making calls, you need to set up your smart speaker to use Duo. First, open the Google Home App, find your smart speaker on the dashboard and tap on it. Next, tap on Settings > More > Duo calling. From there, follow the on-screen instructions to set up the calling function.
To start a call with your smart speaker all you need to say is “Call (contact) on Duo.” To hang up, say “Hang up,” or “End the call.” During the call, you can also mute it by saying “Mute call,” or “Unmute call.”
When receiving calls you can use voice commands, too. You can say “OK, Google, answer the call,” or “OK, Google, decline the call.” Touch commands vary a little, depending on what smart speaker you’re using. With Google Home, you tap and hold the top to decline a call and tap it to answer a call. To answer with Home Max, tap the line on the top or side and press and hold the line to decline a call. For Google Home Mini, tap the side of the device to answer and tap and hold to decline a call.
To call a Google device in your home, you say “OK, Google, call (device name). To make a broadcast to all of your devices say “OK, Google, tell everyone,” and continue saying your message.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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