Google Allo 11, the latest version of Google’s messaging app that started rolling out on the Google Play Store on Friday, contains code that suggests the tool will soon be updated with support for Google Duo and receive a number of new additions, as revealed by an APK teardown performed by 9to5Google. The code present in the new build of the popular instant messaging (IM) app indicates that the Mountain View-based tech giant is already in the process of integrating Google Duo-powered calls into its Android app, as the company updated the backend of the tool with buttons that allow users to make Google Duo calls within Google Allo. The upcoming functionality will support both video and audio calls that users will be able to make directly from the IM app by navigating to a Contact Profile screen. The two buttons are located between the existing commands for sending a message and opening a contact’s settings, as evidenced by the screenshot below.
It’s currently unclear how the integration will work in practice, though the most likely possibility is that developers will simply add a Google Duo shortcut to Google Allo. Even if Google Duo will work directly within the IM app following the new update, users will still need to have the former installed on their devices and if they don’t, Google Allo will prompt them to install the company’s mobile calling solution. Likewise, users will be able to send download requests to their contacts who don’t have Google Duo installed on their devices. Furthermore, the code present in the new APK file of the app suggests that the product will soon be updated with a Google Assistant Settings screen. The upcoming menu will likely contain some of the options present in the main Google Assistant system Settings interface, though it’s currently unclear whether the new section will serve as an alternative or a replacement for Google Allo-related Google Assistant preferences located in the main Settings app.
Regarding more immediate changes, the latest version of Google Allo debuts support for group QR codes that can be used for quickly joining chats with multiple users. Likewise, the app now boasts a group link sharing feature that achieves the same purpose, with the links themselves being easily resettable.