Google is testing duplex on Chrome for buying movie tickets.
The feature isn’t widely rolled out, but it seems Google is ready to start testing its capabilities. A new report from Android Police details that ticket booking sites such as Fandango and AMC-based ticket sites.
Google Assistant on Chrome, powered by Duplex
Duplex being part of Google Assistant is nothing that wasn’t already known. Google officially announced the Duplex engine back at I/O 2018, elaborating that it would push Assistant to new heights.
On Pixel smartphones, Duplex was advertised as being able to handle phone calls for you. On Chrome though things work a little differently since there’s no person on the other end of the call to respond to.
Instead, Duplex shows off its capabilities inside of Assistant when you search for things like movie times. It’s worth noting though that ticket booking sites will have to support this feature for the options to be presented.
Look for the Google Assistant prompt to buy the tickets
Once you search for movie times you’re essentially looking for the Assistant prompt. First, you’ll be asked to select your booking site. Once you’ve done so, an Assistant prompt may appear to take over the rest of the booking process. If it does it can take care of everything from choosing how many tickets you want to what seats you want. You can even select whether your tickets are adult, child, or senior.
The whole process is technically automated, since it is powered by Google Assistant. It doesn’t work exactly how Google’s demonstration depicted though. And that’s likely primarily because this isn’t a phone call. The feature does make it pretty easy to get through the purchase though.
Everything feels rather streamlined, and after you select your times and seats, you’ll be taken to the last couple of steps. Which is to confirm your details and finally pay for the tickets.
Duplex responds to your selected page actions
Instead of automating this entire process like in the initial I/O demo, Duplex simply responds to your selected actions.
For instance, if you select a time, then it will respond with a prompt nudging you to select how many tickets you want. It then brings up further prompts for picking your seats and finishing the transaction. It may also work in different orders on certain sites.
The report about this feature being tested notes that AMC and Fandango both have some steps in different orders. Your booking site options will also vary based on your location it seems. Which may hinder your ability to test the feature yourself.
Most users should be able to give it a try though.