Messaging apps have really defined the way we use our smartphones nowadays. Seldom does anyone need to send a text message when we have platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook’s Messenger. Well, inspired from the growing popularity of these applications, Google has now launched its own messenger. Called the Google Allo, the app has already reached more than 1,00,000 downloads in less than a day (21st September, 2016).
What’s Google Allo about?
Google Allo is completely different for the instant messaging apps we had till date. Using Google’s smart robots, the app is also your personal assistant in all kinds of things. If you and your friend are talking about a nearby restaurant, Google Allo will read the text, find out the information and instantly provide you with the phone numbers, contact details and even the menu. If you are asking your friend about his location, Allo will use the reply to find the location using GPS coordinates and even find you a route to get there! That’s seriously cool! Apart from these quick responses, Google introduces a whole lot of new emojis, stickers and photos to make your messaging more interesting and fun and even lets users make them smaller or bigger as they want by just swiping the send button up or down. The very unique stickers like a ‘sloth riding a pizza’ have been created by independent artists from across the globe.
If you are on an android phone, you can even use the Allo app to edit your photos and add your own watermarks to it.
What is Google Assistant?
The most useful thing with Allo is however the embedded Google Assistant. In this case, you will be chatting with a Google bot but the conversation will be very natural. Obviously, you can ask just about anything, ranging from latest news, to new movies, weather updates, locations, destinations and more. Adding the Google Assistant into a chat with your friend or in a group will even ease your conversation if you are up to planning something. Further, if you are in mood for some jokes, Google assistant will also crack some jokes for you! The functionality is quite similar to the Siri app in iOS. Also, you will not have to minimize your messenger to look up for some unrelated information. Just type ‘@google’ and the Assistant comes up.
How secure Google Allo chatting is?
Allo Chats aren’t encrypted by default and this is done to help you with Google Assistant. As such, Google can read your data and use it to display more relevant ads. However, if you don’t want help and don’t want your chat to be read, stored or used, you can go for the “Incognito mode” of chatting. Apart from encryption technologies like the Transport Layer Security (TLS), Allo also brings in a new Incognito (h/t Chrome) feature for enhanced security. The chats in this case will be encrypted end to end along with additional privacy features including message expiration and discreet notifications.
How does it stand against WhatsApp?
WhatsApp, without doubt, dominates the instant messaging industry today. However, the extra capability with Google Allo certainly makes it an interesting alternative. You get the same features in WhatsApp and more. Some also believe that Allo can be the future of Google search. There are still a couple of features that Allo needs to integrate to overthrow WhatsApp. Firstly, Allo doesn’t feature an option for audio/video calling. Google’s Duo does that for you but is less popular among end users. Secondly, it’s the privacy concern that still needs to be addressed.
We are sure that Allo will soon come with new features and improvements and be the leading mobile application when it comes to instant messaging. As of now, it is already getting a huge uproar.
