Google Meet may soon let you take Apple FaceTime-like calls, this is how

Google may be working on a feature for its one-stop solution for video calls, Meet, to allow users transfer calls between devices seamlessly. If the functionality sounds familiar, it is because Apple has been offering it on FaceTime for quite a while. While FaceTime calls leverage Apple’s Handoff feature to allow users to move calls and conversations between devices, Android does not have any such native feature to allow the transfer of Meet calls. However, that will change soon.

A tipster who goes by AssembleDebug previously informed PiunikaWeb that Google is testing a new “Cross-device services” to change how Android devices interact with each other. Transferring of Meet calls between eligible devices is a part of that change. The same tipster has now shared what the user interface for a core component of this functionality, called call casting, would look like for Meet calls. The screenshot shared by him shows a “Switch Back” button for a Meet call’s notification that stays in the notification drawer for as long as the call is on.

How will this Google Meet feature work?

The “Switch Back” button shown in the upcoming user interface is clean and pretty intuitive, allowing users to transfer calls between devices. The notification shows the regular elements such as the caller’s name, connection status, and call duration, with the “End Call” button prominently visible in red colour at the bottom. Next to it will be the “Switch Back” button. Tapping it will show users to choose a device they want to transfer the call to.

Users will be able to assign the devices they want to be a part of the call casting feature. Google Meet would allow users to set up Cross-device services and include as many devices as they want in a group. After the setup is complete, users could transfer calls between the assigned devices, as long as they have connectivity. This could keep annoyances such as dropped calls and limitations on taking a call on a single device at bay.

When will it be launched?

Although there is no official release date for the feature, the fact that Google has tweaked the user inteface for Meet calls indicates it might be coming sooner or later.