When we think of messaging apps, we usually think of the most popular ones first: Kik and WhatsApp. Despite both of those apps being easy to use and popular, there just might be an app that knocks both of them out of the water.
Google has introduced a new messaging app called Allo. The main feature of this messaging app is the built-in Google assistant. Don’t get too excited though- the app isn’t available until this summer. Although there is a wait to start using it, when it comes out it will be free for most devices.
Some people think that Allo is supposed to be replacing Google Hangouts, but that isn’t the case. Allo is meant to be a fresh start for Google’s communications, and not a replacement.
The app has the usual messaging app features: emojis, stickers, and sent and received indicators. Users can send photos and have the option to draw on said photos within the app before sending them. To give the feeling of “yelling” via their messages, users can use their fingers to change the size of their text. Google calls this “WhisperShouting”.
Allo has a few other neat features, though. After all, if the already mentioned features were the only ones, users wouldn’t have a reason to switch from their current messaging app service. Allo has a feature known as the Google Assistant. The Google assistant is a feature that users can have conversations with in order to get information from Google’s search. Simply start a conversation with @google and then ask it questions. It will respond with answers that you’d expect to get from a regular Google search.
Your conversation with @google gets even more interesting when you’re chatting with friends. When a friend sends you a message, @google will suggest replies that would be appropriate to send them. These replies are generated by way of a smart machine learning engine. You don’t have to use these replies, of course, but if you’re in a hurry or busy they can come in handy.
For privacy, Allo offers incognito mode. Incognito mode means that your messages are secured end-to-end with encryption and even the Google servers can’t read your messages. Message notifications are also private on incognito mode, and don’t display any content until you open the message. According to the app’s developers, there is a plan in the works. The plan is to create a feature that allows messages to expire and be deleted from all Google servers and form your phone.
