Following the recent launch of end-to-end encrypted video calling app Duo, search engine giant Google on Wednesday launched Allo, a mobile-only messaging app available on Android and iOS.
But what does Allo have to beat competition from other already popular messaging apps?
A Digital Assistant, an extension of its primary offering: the Google Search.
In its blog, Google says, “Whether it’s planning a night out or just catching up, we all rely on messaging to stay in touch with friends and loved ones. But too often we have to hit pause on our conversations — whether it’s to check the status of a flight or look up that new restaurant. So we created a messaging app that helps you keep your conversation going.”
The new Google Assistant can be called onto action by simply typing @Google within a conversation and it acts like a Siri, existing Google Now or a Cortana, etc within the conversation and even reportedly play games with to kill boredom as an extension of its search capabilities.
Unlike WhatsApp, all conversations on the app is not end-to-end encrypted but has the option of going ‘incognito’.
Apart from that it has a feature called Smart Reply which will prompt you to reply with template replies to common messages which can be simple text or graphic emojis to save your time (and of course, it will pull up more accurate suggestions with time).
Allo also offers customization with the option of adjusting the size of text by simply sliding over the send button. There are also additional sticker packs available for download including some specific to India.
Although, it does not allow third-party-integration as of now, Google promises it will be much better once it’s up and running.