You’ll soon be able to make calls directly from your Gmail app

Gmail app to Gmail app calling will soon become a reality, Google announced today as part of a broader Workspace update.

It is essentially going to be a Google Meet call, but from within the Gmail app. When the feature becomes available, your Gmail app, like any other VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) app, will be able to be called by others, and when you ring someone else, their mobile device with the Gmail app will buzz.

Further, the feature can also transmit a ‘chip’ to your computer if you prefer to answer the call on a bigger screen. “It’s not quite the same as a spontaneous hallway conversation, but it might be the next best thing in a hybrid setting,” reads Google’s blog post.

Google adds that at some point in the future, the standalone Meet app will also get the ability to place calls and not just be restricted to group meetings.

Google has made a slew of additional changes to Workspace. “Spaces,” an extended version of Rooms, will allow teams to get together and work in Spaces to move projects and discuss issues instead of beginning an email chain or organizing a meeting. Further, Google is also simplifying the Gmail user experience to make it more streamlined with easier access to your inbox, chats, spaces, and meetings from a single hub.

Google also unveiled two of its latest video conferencing displays, the One Desk 27, a 27-inch display perfect for personal use and the One Board 65, a 65-inch 4K display great for video conferencing or presentation rooms.

The several of changes Google is implementing on the Gmail network will allow it to become the central hub of all of Google’s office communication applications, much like Microsoft Outlook is the hub for its email, calendar and contact services.

Image credit: Google

Source: Google