Allo is Google’s new smart messaging service

Google has announced yet another new messaging service today at Google I/O, called Allo, this time with a focus on machine learning and automation thanks to integration of Google Assistant.

As a messaging service, at first blush, you’d be hard pressed to see how Allo is different from other platforms. You sign up using your phone number with the ability to connect your Google account; there are emojis and custom stickers; a feature called WhisperShout allows you to change the text size of individual messages to imply excitement or a whisper; you can draw on photos and so on. But Allo’s killer feature isn’t WhisperShouting or stickers, but the complete integration of Google Assistant.

Aside from creepily accurate response suggestions, that go as far as identifying the type of pasta in a picture of spaghetti and the ingredients inside, then providing an appropriate response (becuase conversations are for robots now), Allo will house Google Assistant as a chat bot. By messaging @google, Allo users will be able to ask all sorts of conversational questions, play simple games and much, much more thanks to third-party developer integration.

Allo also places emphasis on security, providing totally encrypted messages and ability to incognito message with expiration dates for even more privacy.

It’s important to note that Allo won’t be a complete SMS replacement, Google just wants to make a good app, and hope people will use it. Look for Allo to launch this summer on Android and iOS.

source: androidandme