Google launches Allo, its new messaging app
This chatbot, which is supposed to improve over time, is based on the Google Assistant platform, a virtual personal assistant similar to Apple’s Siri. The user can call the assistant in a chat window by typing “@google”, followed by a search query. The answer will appear in the same chat window.
“The more you use it, the better it gets over time,” wrote one product manager.
The app offers a variety of “Smart Replies,” which can be sent with a simple tap. “If a friend sends you a photo of their pet, Smart Reply can say, for example, ‘How cute!'” the official added.
Allo, unveiled in May, will compete with Facebook’s WhatsApp and Messenger apps. A month earlier, Google launched Duo, a video calling app. Conversations through the Allo app will be encrypted only in “incognito” mode. Unlike conversations through WhatsApp, which are encrypted in both directions.
