Google Duo - seem to be having an issue

[siglerm]

I am still trying to figure out various things with the S10+ and Android. I have Duo installed. I have previously done a Duo video call with someone with no problems. Today, I had a friend who has a Samsung S7 try to do a Duo video call to me (their first try using it) and they got a message that I was unable to receive video calls. So, I ended up calling them. It worked fine until something happened that their phone overheated in the sun and it shut down the call. Then when I went to recall them, the Duo icon was gone. I could no longer call them unless I went into the Duo app and initiated it from there. I ended up uninstalling and reinstalling and now everything looks correct. But it looks like if the person is not someone on Android or if I have not tried Duo with them before, there is no Duo icon to tap to do a call. I can however, invite them to connect.

So, questions: Am I doing something wrong that the Duo icon disappeared? The fact that I only have select contacts that show a Duo icon - is this because they are already an android user or a Duo user? Those who are not Android or I have never called, do I have to "invite them" to connect?

 

[VidJunky]

Duo requires an internet connection. So either one of you may have been in a spot where the connection wasn't good. If your contact doesn't have Duo you wouldn't be able to use that service with them, thus only the ability to ask them to use the Duo app. If your friend's device shutdown due to overheating or for any reason, why would you believe this to be an issue on your end? Again if the conditions were not right on their end you wouldn't have the option to initiate a call using the app. It looks at both ends of the conversation and wouldn't allow it if either end was not capable. The fact that it was capable when you opened the app and tried from there sounds like coincidence. It's easy enough to test this, by checking for a contact that you've talked to be for using whatever method you normally use, if you don't find a link for video calling, going into the app to see if the link is available, if it is then going back to your usual method and seeing if it is or is not then available.

 

[cardboard60]

google duo has done Nothing but give me problems, and jack with my contacts.

I don't like Google duo...Google should of seen this before they released it...

But Google has a lot of problems they don't take care of

 

[siglerm]

Thank you VidJunky and cardboard. I was only sharing the overheating issue to make sure all aspects of what happened were mentioned. I was guessing issues were more from their end but then when I didn't see Duo showing up on my phone for a time after, I had my doubts. The info you also shared about Duo looking at both ends makes sense too because they were sitting outside. So there is always the chance they were not on Wi-Fi or the signal was weak. Anyway, thanks again.

 

[werkx]

I've not used Duo on the S10, but read that the latest Samsung One UI 2.1 update includes integration of Duo into the Samsung native phone and messaging apps. I don't see it on my S10 after the update but read others do. Do you have the latest version of both Samsung and Google Duo?

 

[siglerm]

Hi Werkx. Yes, I do (on both your questions). But I have no idea about from my friend's end.

 

[Rose4uKY]

I just looked at my contacts again and I know the Duo icon was there for people but my brother who has an I-phone when I looked to see if it was still their he had an extra entry mobile and then duo with his phone number which I thought was weird. And I still see under Notes it say's HTC data with a bunch of stuff Facebook and do not modify and HTC Data Facebook ID. I've seen that before and never knew what it was. I've yet to use DUO though but I see it under all my contacts. Oh and I see under a few other contacts an extra line after mobile Duo and I know my one friend uses it all the time. So that must mean people use it and I guess maybe my brother with an iPhone downloaded it to video with his daughter who has Android.

 

[werkx]

So is the green video icon in the native Contacts app the indicator that the contact has Duo capability or just video call capability?

I picked a few contacts to see which one has the green video icon enabled. The only contact with it enabled is the one person I've video chat with in the past. All other contact numbers has a grayed out video icon.

Without actual testing, I'm at a point to assume it's a combination of information of video capability saved in my native app (Contacts and/or Duo) and maybe at Google Duo server? Maybe the data between the two are not synced so you are seeing funny things happening with your calls.