Monday, July 27, 2020

The Google Duo Instructions Snafu: "People with your phone number" should read CELL phone number (since landlines can not be called)!

People with your phone number or Google Account info, like your Gmail address, can see that you use Duo and call you using the app.
 No they can't call your landline number even though you can use a landline number to verify your Google Duo account!
Duo works with all cell phones and landlines
https://guide.duo.com/other-phones

By "works" they mean the account can be verified and thus "linked" to a landline but no one can CALL your landline number for a Duo call....

This is in contrast to Zoom which does allow you to use a landline to be connected to a group call with others using computers....

Google Duo - High Quality Video Calls - Apps on Google Play


Google Duo is the highest quality video calling app*. It's simple, reliable, and works across Android and iOS phones and tablets, smart devices, and on the web.
Notice no mention of "landlines"!!?? Right but Zoom does work through landlines (i.e. phones)! And so to not specify that Google Duo does NOT work with landlines is misleading.

For example if you google this question:
Can I call a landline with Google duo?
Duo works with all cell phones and landlines by supporting authentication via phone call and SMS passcodes.
That does NOT answer the question!! Again it says you can VERIFY through the landline - i.e. "authentication" of the account. That's not the same as CALLING the landline!!

The answer is simply stating that the Google Duo account can be verified by landline but it does not say a person can call your landline number to activate your Google Duo....

So how do I know this? Well I just called a landline number of a Google Duo account and the phone did NOT ring - it was our own landline number....

YET Google Duo did recognize the number as in their contact list as an activated and verified Google Duo account.... (i.e. it was a "linked" Google Duo phone number)....

I'll try it again just to be sure....

So I set up my google Duo with no phone number linked....

Then I set up another Google Duo account with our landline linked...

OK I just got the choice - Voice Call or Video Call - and I chose Voice Call just like last time. Our phone is NOT ringing!! The Google Duo is trying to call - it's making the "ringing" sound to try to connect but the phone as landline is NOT ringing....

But when I clicked on it as a previous call - it said it was an "Unanswered Voice Call" -and again it says "Unanswered Voice Call." How can they answer the call if the phone is not ringing? hilarious.

OK so...again with Zoom you CAN use landlines - hence the very confusing claim by Google Duo that people can "call your phone number" - NO they can NOT call your Landline!!
Can zoom call landlines?
Overview. You can invite a telephone user by calling them during a Zoom meeting in a Zoom Room. You can also call a phone number for a 1-on-1 phone call, or call into a conference bridge for a non-Zoom meeting.Jul 14, 2020

Telephone call-out from Zoom Rooms – Zoom Help Center

Now just to prove I'm not the only one "confused" by this Duo claim that "people with your phone number" can "call you" and that "Duo works with landlines"....

https://www.reddit.com/r/googleduo/comments/fsceqq/signing_up_to_google_duo_without_a_phone_number/

Signing up to Google Duo without a phone number

This seems to imply it's possible, but I've tried this on a tablet and it insists on a phone number
So by "tablet" - they think it's a "computer" but the "tablet" is actually an Android cell phone device that uses a cell phone number -
  Using on Android still requires it to be registered with a phone number.
Dammit.
OK, fine, looks like I'll have to leave this one.

What is an Android Tablet? - How Android Tablets Work ...

computer.howstuffworks.com › ... › Tablet PCs
It boils down to this: An Android tablet is a touch-screen, mobile device that runs some version of the Android operating system on it. And it's not a smartphone, though with the right software and hardware you might be able to make calls over Wi-Fi networks using one.
So then they continue - yes you can use the WEB to make "phone calls" to other cell phones that have Google Duo installed - and you do not need a phone number "linked" to the email account.
 Yeah it's the verifying the phone number in the first instance that I'm trying to get round. Google needs the account to have a phone number, after that any device can just use the associated Google Account.
So using just the internet means you can "skip" the phone number verification OR you can choose to use a "landline" for your verification!! But that does not mean people can CALL your landline!!

Again notice the logical confusion there....

So before Google Duo enabled web calls without a phone number then people could install an Android program onto their computer - and then people could call their cell phone number but it was answered on their computer.

So that is a variation of the phone interface with the internet but again it's still NOT a landline number. Because I tried doing that method - I installed the software but obviously it's just for Android programs....

I'm just saying "landlines" got the run around in Google Duo...

https://support.google.com/duo/forum/AAAAAdBBCF8N0_M2fyFu6s/?hl=en&gpf=%23!topic%2FDuo%2FN0_M2fyFu6s

OK this begins to show the issue at hand. Back in 2016:
When I select a contact and number to invite, the invite goes to different number than selected (usually a land line).
  both times it chooses the landline.
 Google userHello Mark & Brundaban

I rebooted my phone after installing the duo app and all Google contacts appeared.

Make sure you send Duo invite to a mobile number with SMS capability. Open contacts on Android phone > long press the contact number that has text (SMS) capability > touch Set to Default.
  I am still choosing the mobile number and it is still using the landline number.
 It's a bug and there should be the standard android sharing intent to invite using other methods. If they had have used the standard android sharing intent, this bug would not occur.
 I also cant find any way of switching the invite method to sms or anything else at this point either, so essentially I cannot send any invites what so ever.
 https://support.google.com/duo/search?q=landline
 My google account is attached to my home landline phone not my cell phone How do I change it.?
https://support.google.com/duo/thread/1219074?hl=en
You cant register a landline number with Duo anyway unles you are able to get SMS on your landline to confirm duo
https://support.google.com/duo/thread/3729978?hl=en

 but then want his landline number on his DUO so he can video chat on his Google Hub Max
https://support.google.com/duo/thread/8031376?hl=en

And NO answer!! The person is left confused - and why? Because Duo "implies" that a landline can be used - and Zoom can use a landline!! So you can see why people would be confused....

You can use your landline to "verify" Google Duo but then no one can call that number. Hilarious.

So Google admitted that was an early "glitch" in their Duo program!!
 This is a known issue that the team is currently looking into. Appreciate your patience!

And sure enough the Glitch is still there!!

Yup! Same issue here 2 days ago it started happening. Duo will let me send messages to freaking landlines but not my boyfriend who has Duo lol.

It keeps saying that he doesn’t have Duo, but he does and can call me, however as soon as it starts ringing the call drops and says network error. I’m unable to call him video him and leave him messages. About to get Rid of the app because he’s the only reason I even use it
https://support.google.com/duo/thread/7569855?hl=en
It wouldn't accept an Australian landline number even though that phone is text enabled.

 https://support.google.com/duo/thread/8031376?hl=en

Here someone repeats the question: But Why?
 
But why?  You can setup up Duo using a landline.  Why can't Nest Hub verify via recall instead of SMS?

No comments:

Post a Comment