Today is the day, the day many people have been waiting for since Google launched Duo back in 2016. You can now sign up for and use a Google Duo account without an email address. Yes, Google’s almost 4 year-old product just got one of the biggest features it’s been missing since launch.
Google started to add Gmail addresses as a means of identification and communication a while back and has slowly move towards using email addresses for identification however you still needed a phone number to create an account. Turns out there’s a work around. If you sign up using an Android Tablet you can bypass the need for a phone number.
As you can see above Android Police was able to create a brand new account without ever entering a phone number. What’s more it’s being reported that this works for family link accounts. If true this will be a huge deal for families who have wanted to allow their kids to use Duo without wanting them to have a phone number.
We will be testing creating an account using family link shortly and will let you know how it works out. Unfortunately with Google you never know if a new feature is an early roll-out, a test or a mistake, so if you’ve been waiting to set up Duo without a phone number we recommend you do it quickly, just in case.
Probably too late with everyone already using WhatsApp, Messenger or FaceTime. Why bother changing, and then hoping your friends do too?
Indeed.
When all the Zoom security flaws were being publicized early on during the COVID-19 lockdowns, you think I could get any of my friends to even merely think of looking at something other than Zoom. Of course not.
Market inertia from how easy Zoom was to use had won them, completely.
Some people are conscientious objectors to Facebook properties. Options are always good
installed the latest split APK from APK Mirror and it works for Family Link accounts now! Only (negligable) downside is you need to clear the app storage so it starts from scratch. You can’t use the standard “add Google Account” function in the settings as it still tries to point to Gsuite for Education accounts only.