Google launches ‘Allo’ messaging app

Google office in Mountain View, California. (Turtix/ShutterStock)

NEW DELHI – Google has launched its messaging app ‘Allo’, which would compete with the likes of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

Available for both Android and iOS platforms, Allo will also mark the debut of Google Assistant in a preview edition.

“Whether it is planning a night out or just catching up, we rely on messaging to stay in touch with friends and family every day. But too often we have to hit pause on our conversation whether it is to check the status of a flight or look up that new restaurant. So we created Allo, a messaging app that helps you keep your conversation going, by providing assistance when you need it,” Google Group Product Manager Amit Fulay said.

Powered with artificial intelligence, Allo packs in features including smart reply, options for sharing photos, emojis and stickers. For Indian users, Google has enabled smart replies in ‘Hinglish.’ It will also roll out over 200 stickers created by popular independent artists aimed at Indian users.

Google had announced Duo and Allo at its I/O event in May this year.

Duo, which competes with video calling platform Skype, was launched last month. With the smart reply feature, users will be able to respond to messages with just a tap.

For example, one can send a quick “yup” in response to a friend asking “Are you on your way?” Smart Reply will also suggest responses for photos sent on Google Allo. It will learn from behaviour pattern and adjust the responses over time to that of the user.

All chats in Google Allo are encrypted using industry standard technologies like Transport Layer Security (TLS), it said.

There would also be an incognito mode, similar to that on Google’s Chrome browser.

The messages, on this mode, would have end-to-end encryption and additional privacy features like discreet notifications and message expiration.