Back at Google I/O held this May, Google announced both Allo and Duo, two new messaging apps that did different things, with the hope to make Google a serious player in the messaging game. While Duo is now available in the Play Store globally, Allo is still making its way to Android smartphones everywhere, and will be available via the Play Store soon. As is often the case with these apps, there are versions that are being tested, and as these test versions are scrutinized further and further, we’re beginning to get a feel of what the final Allo might be when it launches and now, it appears as though the final product might not launch with the ability to sync your messages or back them up using the Cloud.
According to Android Police, whenever someone – for whatever reason – uninstalls Allo on their device and then logs back in to the app, there will be nothing left from the previous installation, despite having been activated using the same app on the same phone. All that remained after Android Police did this was a list of their groups and an empty chat with the Google Assistant, there were no remaining records of one-on-one chats with other Allo users and the group chats themselves were empty. This is could become something of a problem for Allo users, as many people expect their online messaging apps – just as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp do – to back up and keep their information safe and sound should anything happen to their device. This also means that, should users upgrade their device or move to a replacement device, Allo’s chats – including all the funny GIFs and images – will no longer be there.
Of course, these findings are from the test version of the Allo app, and in the final version, this might no longer be the case. Assuming that this test version is to be the early version of the Allo app however, then it could be the case that it won’t launch with these features, but perhaps gain them later on. Whatever the reason, it’s worth taking this with a grain of salt, as Allo has yet to officially launch yet.