Are you in the mood for yet another text message app? Although this time from Google. Would you be interested in this same app if it had limitations – like only being able to be used on one device at a time? If you answered ‘yes’ to both questions, then Google’s new Allo could be for you. Available just a handful a few days ago, Google has now opened the app up for everyone in the Google Play Store, including Canada.
There is no doubt that Google could have a winner here once they firm up the limitations. Allo is bright, cheerful, colorful, and tied in with Google AI – the Smart Reply feature will learn your normal actions and do them without you having to lift a finger or open your mouth. Allo is the smart messaging app that allows you to express yourself better. You can use stickers, large emojis, and text, or quickly add a doodle to your message. Allo has an ‘Ink’ feature that allows you to enhance your photos by adding text or drawing. The ‘Stickers’ used in Allo are from around the world and are done by independent artists. And you know how some people like to SHOUT and others like to whisper? Well with Allo you can easily change the size of the text with a swipe of your finger. There is a lot of security built into Allo messaging as well, with end-to-end encryption and you get to decide how long your messages stay around.
What is nice about Allo is that you do not need a Google account to use the app as just a phone number will do. It will automatically drag over your contacts from your address book and you can even send an SMS message to a person that does not have the Allo app downloaded on their device. The nicest feature has to be the integration of AI though. For instance, if you ask a friend to meet you for tacos, and they are not familiar with your local taco hangouts, Allo and AI will pull up the top-rated taco shops in your area, and you can decide where you want to meet. All-in-all an interesting app that just needs a little refinement.