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With new iPad support, Google Duo takes another stab at FaceTime

Technically, you could use Google's FaceTime competitor on an iPad already... but it didn't look good.

Headshot of Sean Hollister
Headshot of Sean Hollister
Sean Hollister Senior Editor / Reviews
When his parents denied him a Super NES, he got mad. When they traded a prize Sega Genesis for a 2400 baud modem, he got even. Years of Internet shareware, eBay'd possessions and video game testing jobs after that, he joined Engadget. He helped found The Verge, and later served as Gizmodo's reviews editor. When he's not madly testing laptops, apps, virtual reality experiences, and whatever new gadget will supposedly change the world, he likes to kick back with some games, a good Nerf blaster, and a bottle of Tejava.
Sean Hollister
55-ipad-2018-education

This is not Google Duo, but it is a good stock image for this kind of scenario. Don't you think?

 Sarah Tew/CNET

Steve Jobs never honored his promise to make FaceTime an open standard, so Apple enthusiasts must download alternative apps in order to video chat with friends on Android, and vice versa.

But on Monday, Google's Duo just got one step closer with official support for Apple's iPad, on top of previous support for iPhones and Android devices.

Google issued the news in tweet form:

And you can see the mention of fresh iPad support at Apple's App Store as well.  

Technically, you've been able to shoehorn Duo into an iPad for a long while now, but the results weren't necessarily great. 

Duo is also officially on Android tablets today, though that tablet interface -- along with support for more than one device per user, an important prerequisite -- appears to have been rolling out since July, according to XDA Developers.

Watch this: Google Duo makes video calling a whole lot easier

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