Google’s AI-powered instant messaging app, Allo, has been now out and slowly rolling out for a few days. While the app was only been rolling out in India in the first place – due to technical as well as business reasons, it seems like the app has now been made available to download for all users regardless of region. While many users have already side-loaded the app, those who are unfamiliar with the sideloading process will appreciate the fact that the app is now officially available for download on the Google Play Store.
The phased rollout of the Google Allo app had started on Wednesday, but now it’s live for everyone on Google Play Store. So in case, you have been waiting for Google Play Store availability and not yet sideloaded the app, just head over to Google Play Store on your Android device and install the app right away or hit the link below this post. Allo was originally unveiled during Google I/O conference back in May this year, along with a video calling app called Duo – which Google had released over a month ago. Feature-wise, Allo is an AI-powered instant messaging app and carries all the bells and whistles that you can find in most of other popular messaging apps; In Allo, users can send messages, group chat, share photos, locations as well as stickers to their friends, but what makes Allo different from other messaging apps is its built-in Google Assistant integration – which acts as a chatbot. The user can ask Google Assistant to get information on a variety of subjects, such as weather updates, sports updates, news, and much more. Google Assistant can also suggest popular restaurants nearby to help you and your friends plan a dinner party or something of the sort.
Based on initial impressions, we can safely say that Google Assistant works well, it’s very fast and accurate and considering that this is just a preview version, it will be interesting to see what type of functionalities will actual version of Google Assistant bring to the table. To get working, Allo requires a phone number rather than your Google account, and sadly, the app can only be used on one device as of now, and doesn’t offer sync between multiple devices just like other Google services.