Google is rolling out voice and video calling to Google Chat within the Gmail app on iOS and Android as of this week.

The company has a track record of spreading its userbase across a plethora of apps like Hangouts, Duo, Allo and Google Plus but more recently, Google has been focusing on consolidating the experience.

Instead of jumping between countless apps, Google wants its users to be able to talk to each other quickly and easily, and this Gmail app update is a step toward that goal.

The new feature allows you to start or join a meeting or audio call from within its Google Chat service. For now, it is only available for one-on-one chats, so if you've got a group Google Chat on the go you'll still have to hop over to something like Google Meet for your conferencing needs.

In a blog post, the Gmail team said "As some teams begin to return to the office, while others remain distributed, we hope this makes it easier to connect with your colleagues in the hybrid work world. This feature will allow you to seamlessly switch between chat to a video or audio call when needed, helping you collaborate and move your work forward."

To start a call, select the phone or video icon from the top right-hand corner of the 1-on-1 Google Chat screen. If someone else starts a call, you will be presented with the option to join within your chat with them.

As with most Google updates, the rollout will be gradual. So it might be a little while before the new icons appear within your Gmail app.