Google has launched Allo, its new intelligent messaging app. Allo combines now-standard messaging features like stickers, changing font sizes and marked-up photos with Google Assistant, an intelligent chat AI that brings Google's services to your conversations, and Smart Reply.


Google Assistant comes in two forms. The first form is a one-on-one chat in which you can request information from Google's services, similar to Google Now. Users can find out sports scores, the weather, search for restaurants, check travel time or flight status, and more.

The second form is within your conversations. Google Assistant can be brought into chats by tagging the service in a message line and issuing a command. For example, a user can type "@google show me local burrito places" and Google Assistant will show you local burrito places. Users can also bring in other forms of information, like Google Search, Images and YouTube results. However, Google points out that Google Assistant is in "preview edition" and isn't complete. To help improve Assistant, users can submit real-time feedback with conversations.

Allo also comes with a feature called Smart Reply. The app can learn your texting habits and suggest quick replies for more basic communication. Allo can, for instance, learn whether you're more prone to using "lol" or "haha," or whether you like to say "sup?" or "hey how's it going." Once it figures out your reply patterns, it can suggest basic responses. Smart Reply can also adjust to how you respond to certain people. As BuzzFeed notes, it can change its suggestions based on whether you're talking to your wife or boss.

Google stores the chat data on its servers, but has also extended its Incognito private mode to Allo. Incognito mode comes with end-to-end encryption and self-destructing chats. Users can set time limits for their messages, setting them to self-destruct after 10 seconds, 30 seconds, a minute, an hour, a day, or longer (via The Verge).

Allo is only available for iPhones and Android phones and, like WhatsApp, uses a phone number for registration. The app is currently rolling out and propagating through Apple's App Store services. Allo was first announced in May, at Google's annual I/O event alongside Android Nougat, Android Wear 2.0, and Duo.

Allo is available in the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tags: Allo, Google

Top Rated Comments

1041958 Avatar
117 months ago
Allo, Duo, Spaces, Hangouts and Messenger. Oh, and messaging in YouTube.

Come on, Google, you can do better. Just a few more and you can claim to have 10 overlapping communication tools.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ballis Avatar
117 months ago
Yay. More third party messaging apps....
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacBAir Avatar
117 months ago
The only advantage of iMessage is privacy however that might not be 100% true anyway.. the app looks much nicer than iMessage, might definitely give it a try!
Lol iMessage is actually a fantastic service that people actually use. Better privacy and encryption, SMS integration and an actual relevant userbase means that this new Google service is DOA and will never be as relevant, useful and valuable as iMessage.

OTOH, for cross platform communications, Facebook (whatsapp, Messenger) guarantees that Google will release nothing more than another failure, just like all of their ideas, products and apps from the last 7 to 8 years.

You can shove down people's throats, but even hangouts, with its 1 billion+ installations, is a total turd and no one cares, besides the same people that would use G+. And no one cares about those people, too.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Paradoxally Avatar
117 months ago
And in typical Google fashion, I'm willing to bet the app will be better on iOS than Android.

Also, this looks much cleaner than that mess Apple calls iMessage.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WhackyNinja Avatar
117 months ago
When your Android buddies have the APK and downloaded Allo already but you have iOS and have to wait for it to go live on the App Store


Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justperry Avatar
117 months ago
Two things I like Apple to do (but probably never will) is to merge iMessage and FaceTime into one App and release it on Android, believe me, plenty of people on Android would move away from Google's crap (except of course android itself/GMaps/GSearch) and other messaging Apps.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro: Release Date and Pre-Orders

Friday September 5, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple will be holding its annual iPhone event on Tuesday, September 9, to unveil the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Assuming that Apple sticks to its familiar pattern, the iPhone 17 series should be available to pre-order starting Friday, September 12 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time / 8 a.m. Eastern Time. The release date for the devices should be one week later, on Fr...
iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

New iPhone 17 Pro Details: Brighter Display, Best Battery Life, and More

Wednesday September 3, 2025 5:33 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models will feature a number of significant display, thermal, and battery improvements, according to new late-stage rumors. According to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital," the iPhone 17 Pro models will feature displays with higher brightness, making it more suitable for use in direct sunlight for prolonged periods. The iPhone 16 Pro and...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Coming Next Week: Eight Reasons to Upgrade

Thursday September 4, 2025 7:38 am PDT by
We're only days away from Apple's "Awe dropping" fall event scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 9 – and along with the new iPhone 17 series, we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023. By the time the Ultra 3 is unveiled, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived. The intervening period has left plenty of room for...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro's Biggest Design Mystery is Finally Solved

Friday September 5, 2025 9:33 am PDT by
Apple is set to unveil the iPhone 17 series in just four days from now, and the biggest design mystery surrounding the Pro models has finally been solved. In a report outlining his expectations for Apple's event next week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the iPhone 17 Pro models will have "a new cutout area on the bottom two-thirds of the phone that doubles as the wireless charging area."...
iPhone 16 Battery Life Feature

iOS 26's New Battery Life Mode is Limited to These iPhone Models

Wednesday September 3, 2025 1:19 pm PDT by
iOS 26 introduces an Adaptive Power Mode on the iPhone, alongside the existing Low Power Mode. Apple says Adaptive Power Mode can make "performance adjustments" when necessary to extend an iPhone's battery life, including slightly lowering the display brightness, allowing some activities to "take longer," and automatically turning on Low Power Mode when the iPhone's remaining battery life...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Prices Estimated Ahead of Apple Event Next Week

Tuesday September 2, 2025 1:50 pm PDT by
Just one week before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series, an analyst has shared new price estimates for the devices. Here are J.P. Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee's price estimates for the iPhone 17 series in the United States, according to 9to5Mac: Model Starting Price Model Starting Price Change iPhone 16 $799 iPhone 17 ...