Google today made Allo, the messaging app it first revealed back in May, available to Android and iOS devices.
Allo expands the ability for expression by tapping into the new Google Assistant, all while keeping conversations secure. The app supports emoji and stickers, and a tool called “whisper shout” that lets people shrink or expand the size of text to convey volume or impact.
Allo supports drawing tools for marking up or annotating photos. It uses machine learning to guess or suggest responses that could be appropriate for the conversation — all without requiring users to type. Google says the app can do things such as help make dinner plans, find answers to basic searches, and share YouTube videos. Users need only type “@google” to bring the assistant into group chats. The app permits people to converse directly with the Google Assistant to, in effect, perform searches, such as sports scores and headlines. Incognito mode encrypts messages from end-to-end for privacy and offers private notifications and expiring chats.
Further, when incognito conversation threads are deleted they are gone forever. Google says Allo can send simple SMS messages to people who don’t use Allo, and can also send previews of Allo-stylized messages with a link to the app for download.
Google Allo is free to download from the Google Play Store and from the iTunes App Store.
