After launching video-chat app Duo, Google has released much awaited messaging app Allo on Play store and Apple iTunes App store.
Google had originally demoed the new Allo app's abilities at I/O 2016 back in May. Now, the public version has finally been released to Android and iOS devices. Besides being a multi-functional messenger application, it also acts as a virtual digital assistant dubbed as the Google Assistant. It is powered by the company's advanced AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology.
Though the company calls the Google Assistant a preview edition, it has got some pretty cool tricks up its sleeve to give Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana a run for their money. It can intuitively observe the user behaviour and recommend hotels nearby and scan your Gmail account and remind you of any appointments or flights scheduled for the day. Users can also chat with the app one-on-one to ask for direction to any destination or shop to buy groceries.
"Over the coming months, your Assistant will be available in more Google products, working seamlessly throughout your day at home or on the go. The Assistant will initially be available in English, with more languages coming soon," Amit Fulay, group product manager, said in statement.
Another notable aspect of Google Allo is that it is fully encrypted, provided the user activates the incognito mode. When the user chats in Incognito mode, messages will have end-to-end encryption. In addition to that, Allo provides a couple of more privacy options such as discreet notifications and message expiration time like Snapchat.
Google Allo is now available on Android Play Store (HERE) and Apple App Store (HERE).
