Google’s forthcoming messaging app, Allo, boasts a nearly-perfect rating of 4.8 out of 5 even before its official release.
Dozens of reviews for Allo have been posted on the Google Play Store, where the app is currently available in a private testing phase for pre-registered users.
Early feedback indicates that users are largely satisfied with the app’s offerings:
![Screenshot taken 8/25/16 by author.]
Allo was initially introduced in May at Google I/O along with Google Assistant. It was revealed that Allo is a messaging app tied to users’ phone numbers, enabling the integration of Google Assistant into conversations with friends or through one-on-one chats with the Assistant.
For several months, this was all that was known about Allo. However, with the app’s recent listing on the Google Play Store, more details have emerged about what to expect from Google’s new messaging app.
Google Allo Features:
- Smart Reply: This feature learns your communication style and suggests responses accordingly. It can suggest replies to both text and photos, allowing you to continue conversations with minimal typing.
- Ink: This feature allows you to add creative customizations to photos before sending them.
- Whisper Shout: Instead of using all caps to emphasize your messages, you can adjust the size of your text with a swipe.
- Stickers: Exclusive stickers designed by independent artists and studios from around the world can be used in chats.
- Incognito Mode: Offers end-to-end encryption, the ability to set messages to expire after a certain amount of time, and private notifications to prevent eavesdropping on your chats.
Currently, the only way to use Google Allo is through a direct invite. The app has not yet been officially released to the public, and no firm release date is available at this time.
