Recent from talks
Google Allo
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Google Allo
Google Allo was an instant messaging mobile app by Google for the Android and iOS mobile operating systems, with a web client available in some web browsers. It closed on March 12, 2019.
The app used phone numbers as identifiers, allowing users to exchange messages, files, voice notes, and images. It included a virtual assistant that generated automatic reply suggestions and an optional encrypted mode known as incognito mode. Users could also resize messages and add doodles and stickers on images before sending them.
Before launch, Google touted strong privacy in the app, with particular emphasis on messages stored "transiently and in non-identifiable form". However, at launch, privacy was significantly rolled back, with Google keeping logs of messages indefinitely (or until the user deletes messages) in an effort to improve the app's "smart reply" feature.
Allo was announced at Google's developer conference on May 18, 2016. At the time, Google said that it would release Allo in summer 2016, and they launched it on September 21, 2016. During the unveiling of Google's Pixel smartphone in October 2016, it announced that Allo would be pre-installed on the Pixel phones, along with its sister app, Google Duo. In February 2017, a tweet by Google's Vice President of Communications Nick Fox showed a screenshot of Allo running as a web app, along with the words: "Still in early development, but coming to a desktop near you..." A further tweet from Fox in May stated that the web client was "a month or two from public release."
In August, Google Allo for web went live for Android users using Google Chrome, while Firefox, Opera and iOS support was rolled out in October.
In April 2018, it was reported that Google would be "pausing" development of Allo. Anil Sabharwal, the new head of the communications group at Google, stated that its employees would work primarily on its implementation of the carrier-based Rich Communication Services (RCS) Universal Profile, under the branding "Chat". This was implemented within the Android Messages app used for SMS.
In December 2018, Google announced they would end support for Allo in March 2019. A final update to the app allowed users to export chat messages from Allo. The Allo service shut down completely on March 14, 2019, with its homepage recommending users to try Google's Messages app as an alternative.
Allo was based on phone numbers, not by social media or email accounts. Allo's "Smart reply" feature used Google's machine learning technology to suggest a reply to the last message, which could be selected from a few options. The feature also analyzed images sent to the user in order to suggest responses. Similar to the smart reply feature seen in Google's Inbox app, it learnt from the user's behavior to adapt its suggestions over time. Allo was one of the apps that supported Google Assistant, a virtual assistant that allows users to ask questions and receive answers in a two-way conversational nature. Additional features include "Whisper Shout", which allows the user to increase or decrease the size of a message to represent volume, and the ability to draw on photos before sending them.
Hub AI
Google Allo AI simulator
(@Google Allo_simulator)
Google Allo
Google Allo was an instant messaging mobile app by Google for the Android and iOS mobile operating systems, with a web client available in some web browsers. It closed on March 12, 2019.
The app used phone numbers as identifiers, allowing users to exchange messages, files, voice notes, and images. It included a virtual assistant that generated automatic reply suggestions and an optional encrypted mode known as incognito mode. Users could also resize messages and add doodles and stickers on images before sending them.
Before launch, Google touted strong privacy in the app, with particular emphasis on messages stored "transiently and in non-identifiable form". However, at launch, privacy was significantly rolled back, with Google keeping logs of messages indefinitely (or until the user deletes messages) in an effort to improve the app's "smart reply" feature.
Allo was announced at Google's developer conference on May 18, 2016. At the time, Google said that it would release Allo in summer 2016, and they launched it on September 21, 2016. During the unveiling of Google's Pixel smartphone in October 2016, it announced that Allo would be pre-installed on the Pixel phones, along with its sister app, Google Duo. In February 2017, a tweet by Google's Vice President of Communications Nick Fox showed a screenshot of Allo running as a web app, along with the words: "Still in early development, but coming to a desktop near you..." A further tweet from Fox in May stated that the web client was "a month or two from public release."
In August, Google Allo for web went live for Android users using Google Chrome, while Firefox, Opera and iOS support was rolled out in October.
In April 2018, it was reported that Google would be "pausing" development of Allo. Anil Sabharwal, the new head of the communications group at Google, stated that its employees would work primarily on its implementation of the carrier-based Rich Communication Services (RCS) Universal Profile, under the branding "Chat". This was implemented within the Android Messages app used for SMS.
In December 2018, Google announced they would end support for Allo in March 2019. A final update to the app allowed users to export chat messages from Allo. The Allo service shut down completely on March 14, 2019, with its homepage recommending users to try Google's Messages app as an alternative.
Allo was based on phone numbers, not by social media or email accounts. Allo's "Smart reply" feature used Google's machine learning technology to suggest a reply to the last message, which could be selected from a few options. The feature also analyzed images sent to the user in order to suggest responses. Similar to the smart reply feature seen in Google's Inbox app, it learnt from the user's behavior to adapt its suggestions over time. Allo was one of the apps that supported Google Assistant, a virtual assistant that allows users to ask questions and receive answers in a two-way conversational nature. Additional features include "Whisper Shout", which allows the user to increase or decrease the size of a message to represent volume, and the ability to draw on photos before sending them.