Google Duo has been upgraded to include both video calling and meeting capabilities. When communicating in Duo, you can use either:
- 1:1 and group video calling: The classic Duo end-to-end encrypted experience that involves ringing a number or group directly.
- Meetings: The ability to create or join a cloud-encrypted Google Meet meeting with a link when you're ready. Meet meetings happen in the Duo app.
To make sure that your data is safe, Google Duo uses several encryption methods. In Duo, you can now make Duo calls or set up Meet meetings. For 1:1 and group calling, Duo uses end-to-end encryption to mask data with a code that only you and the other callers have access to. For Meet meetings in the Duo app, Duo encrypts your information in transit and at rest in Google's data centres. Organisations can also use client-side encryption to have full control of their encryption keys to add an additional layer of protection.
Learn how end-to-end encrypted calls work
End-to-end encryption:
- Is a standard security method that protects communications data.
- Is built into every Duo call. Is on by default and can’t be turned off.
- Makes sure only people in a call know what’s said or shown.
- Doesn’t allow Google to view, hear or save the audio and video from your call.
End-to-end encryption masks the call data with a code that requires a key to decode.
The key:
- Is a number created on your device and the device that you call. Exists only on those devices.
- Disappears when the call ends.
- Isn’t shared with:
- Other users
- Other devices
Even if someone gains access to the call data, they can’t understand it without the key.
Learn more in Duo's end-to-end encryption technical paper.
To help fix problems, Duo uses some information about your calls, such as:
- Why and when a call is dropped or delayed
- The device IDs of the caller and receiver
- Phone numbers of people in a group call
This information is securely stored for about a month on Google servers.
Learn how cloud-encrypted meetings work
To help ensure data security and privacy, the Duo app supports these cloud-encryption measures for meetings:
- By default, meeting data in the Duo app is encrypted in transit between the client and Google data centres for video meetings taking place in Google Duo or Google Meet.
- By default, meeting recordings stored in Google Drive are encrypted at rest.
- Meeting encryption adheres to:
- Internet Engineering Task Force security standards for Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS)
- Secure Real-time Transport Protocol (SRTP)
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