Not sure how common this is, but everyone at both school and work these days shifts seamlessly from mobile to dekstop and back. This has been one of the main reasons we tend to use WhatsApp and Slack, even for corporate communications as silly as that sounds -- because you can type long messages on it on the keyboard/desktop but also have access to it on the go.<p>What I don't understand is -- given Allo had a blank slate, why did they limit it to just mobile? They cover two major silos (Android + iOS), (one reason we dont use iMsg) but why not the third silo (non-mobile)?
So now google has Voice, Messenger, Hangouts, Allo, and Duo all with overlapping functionality? I wish they would just focus on making Hangouts work really well.
I really wish they wouldn't overload terms that they themselves invented. In Chrome, "incognito" means we don't save your local history, but it <i>does</i> <i>not</i> add to the transport security. Here, "incognito" means you've got end-to-end encryption (and presumably also doesn't save local history).<p>Why on earth would you re-use the same term when naming two things with similar (thus easily confused) consumer-visible attributes but completely different security guarantees?!
Lots of speculation about how long these apps will last. I personally suspect it's Hangouts that will be chopped. Google looked at Facebook Messenger and realised that the future was in personal assistants and the illusion of virtual/simulated AI, and realised also that Hangouts would become an unmanageable mess with more features added, so they are rolling out a Messenger competitor and a Hangouts video replacement with a transitional period to assess both feasibility, interest and to enable Hangouts customers to explore alternatives ahead of the shutdown, while attracting new business along the way.<p>Personally, I like Duo because I can talk to my partner with video even though my partner is on Android and is a bit of a technophobe.<p>The almost-too-simple UI is much easier for my partner to use than Hangouts, and Skype is a dog. I also do not use Facebook.<p>Google, like Apple now, and like Microsoft before it, is playing catch-up to Facebook and arguably has been since Google+. It's like Hollywood: remakes are far from innovative and are loathed by many who liked the originals or who crave fresh material, but a remake is much easier to get through the boardroom and easier to make profitable. Google should be pushing the boundaries but it's afraid of tarnishing its credibility with potentially bad decisions. They also want to appear active I suppose, and to collect what data they can from people who are likely to be loyal to a Google competitor to Facebook.<p>I think Google should be thinking doing more than buying up tech talent in acquihires and inflating an already bloated app ecosystem that threatens what business they already have, but I'm not a business person.
Why isn't it always end to end encryption? I'm getting really paranoid and crochety in my old age of 29, as all I see is a tool to make me the product.
You know what I really need? A new messaging app, so people can complain more about me not using whatever messaging app they're using.<p>I'm not saying that email and sms/mms don't have flaws, but at least I don't have to consider whether the recipient of my message has whatever random app is popular today. Have we seen the end of wide spread open protocols, because huge tech corporations are hell bent on controlling communications?
I'm surprised Google Duo hasn't become more popular. It's a great cross-platform video chat app. I especially like the feature where you can see the other party before you answer their call. I have taken calls because of that feature that I otherwise wouldn't have.<p>It's better than FaceTime because it works on Android. It's better than Skype and Google Hangouts because your cellphone number is your identity; you don't have to log in with any usernames or passwords. Extremely low friction.
Chat apps are like to-do apps. They’re easy to make (albeit hard to make well) and you rarely have a strong reason to choose one over another, so you’ll probably stick with whatever you (and your friends) are already using.<p>Besides, if I take up Allo and fall in love with it, I’ll be sad when it disappears after Google stops supporting it in a few years. These features should be integrated into Hangouts, else they’re dividing their own market. Though, ironically, if everyone with this sentiment went against their gut reaction and adopted Allo anyway, then Google would be forced to support it, as they do Gmail.
Boo.<p>All the shiny bells-and-whistles in the world aren't going to cover the fact that this should be end-to-end by default.<p>I suspect at least some of the folks working on it feel this way too, so I imagine it's really shitty for some of them to have it work this way. If WhatsApp is already end-to-end by default there's no reason at all that a new app trying to enter that already saturated space shouldn't be.<p>Sincerely, I hope this fails quickly.<p>My grumpy old ass will stay on Signal thanks very much.
Open Whisper Systems partners with Google on end-to-end encryption for Allo.<p><a href="https://whispersystems.org/blog/allo/" rel="nofollow">https://whispersystems.org/blog/allo/</a>
I don't know of any other company that has discontinued as many products people actually used. Sorry Google, even if I didn't already have several chat apps and even if I didn't prefer to type on a real keyboard I still couldn't recommend your new products to friends and family. I just don't trust you anymore.
Really waiting for the day where Google will accidentally release a new messaging app called Google Hangouts or some other name that they already use, because there are just so many it's impossible to keep track.
Google's Duo/Allo strategy is the final straw after adopting Google Voice like 10 years and hoping that eventually Hangouts would not a pile of crap.<p>Beside the limbo that this leaves Hangouts in, Allo and Duo have no web/desktop client, which is where I do 90% of my messaging. I've made too many excuses and put up with half-assed experiences for the past 5-10 years. Unfortunately, my options are probably Facebook messaging or raw SMS.<p>Meanwhile Riot/Matrix have all of the functionality of Slack/Skype/Hangouts/etc, is open source, is federated, etc... and no one seems to care...<p>(Not to mention that I still can't even download Allo if I try...)
Rolling out in India <a href="https://twitter.com/juberti/status/778453572035878912" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/juberti/status/778453572035878912</a> If you can't wait, here's the APK <a href="http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/allo-by-google/allo-by-google-1-0-006_rc18-release/" rel="nofollow">http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/allo-by-google/allo-...</a>
The technology behind the feature is great, don't get me wrong. But there's something so empty about the Labrador response.<p>I want a discussion with a human. Not a human-curated conversation of algorithm-determined responses.<p>Simple human conversation isn't as much of a problem-to-be-solved as they seem to think it is.
If I'm bound to switch to something and bring friends to it, I'll rather do it with Wire[1], without any Google surveillance and data mining for "ad experience". It has a desktop client (electron based though) and isn't limited to 1 device. Not to mention E2E encryption ALL the time.<p>[1] <a href="https://wire.com/" rel="nofollow">https://wire.com/</a>
This has SMS fallback!<p><a href="https://support.google.com/allo/answer/6376011" rel="nofollow">https://support.google.com/allo/answer/6376011</a>
I don't know about you guys, but I am quite sick of these messaging apps that don't really provide any added-value over their competitors. Moreover, these message apps are not decentralize nor are these companies altruistic, so it quite easy to conclude that these companies wants your data.
Interesting that another trending story on HN contradicts google's post wrt the privacy features included in allo:<p><a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/21/12994362/allo-privacy-message-logs-google" rel="nofollow">http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/21/12994362/allo-privacy-mess...</a><p>I had a feeling Google's representation of their respect for user privacy was too good to be true. Clearly they only have an interest in marketing privacy, as opposed to actually delivering effective privacy controlling tools and features.
Can't we just agree on one standard already? I hate having to use multiple messaging apps, that's the biggest UX failure right there, and it desperately needs fixing! Forget about all the other features!
>We can’t wait for you to say hello to Google Allo! We’re beginning to roll out Google Allo for Android and iOS, and the app will be available worldwide in the next few days.<p>I wonder if they are doing this because they expect issues or if they expect everyone to want the app.
Personally, I just wish the stock Android messenger could communicate better with imessage group chats.
This is what it looks like when you send someone an allo message and they don't have allo. I was surprised that it would send something like this without asking permission. I assumed it would fall back to SMS transparently.<p><a href="http://i.imgur.com/6aHNeMR.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://i.imgur.com/6aHNeMR.jpg</a>
Imagine walking around and conversing with a friend and a salesman is hanging just behind you, listening to everything you say, and interjecting carefully crafted comments and "advice" designed to modify your buying behavior in response to what you're talking about. He's also recording your conversation and may or may not give it to the government or his advertising clients.<p>That's this, basically.<p>No thanks.
As long as they(Google) don't study why WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app, I don't think they will ever dominate this market. Here are the most important 2 things in my opinion that made whatsapp #1 messaging app.<p>- WhatsApp tried to reach everyone from the beginning. Founders knew that not everyone in world has enough money to buy a shiny phone every year.<p>- WhatsApp uses minimal bytes possible to send your messages to other side. This will be the only choice for people who have expensive data plans all over the world, and those who are travelling often and roaming enabled.<p>I am not even sure if my 4 years old android phone will be able to install the app. So will this app have a great success? I don't think so.
So the play store still shows this as coming soon for me. They did the same type of launch for Duo and I really don't understand what they have to gain from this.<p>They're making a reentry into a very populated space. Facebook messenger, whatsapp, Skype, iMessage... why would you risk the scenario where someone finds this blog post in a newsfeed, looks at the app, finds it unavailable, and never returns?<p>It just doesn't make any sense to me. Clearly they're going to launch sometime in the next 12 hours. So the infrastructure is all in place and the final builds are made. Why not wait on the press release until it's actually available?
How did Google get Apple to approve this app for the App Store?<p>It has fallback to SMS functionality[1], but SMS apps are rejected from the Apple App store [2].<p>[1] <a href="https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2016/09/google-allo-smarter-messaging-app.html" rel="nofollow">https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2016/09/google-allo-smarter-...</a><p>[2] <a href="https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/" rel="nofollow">https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/</a>
I can't be the only one thinking in (12 + x) months, where x is between 0 and 24, there will be a post on the same blog: "<i>Say goodbye to Google Allo</i>".
Does anyone know how the app preview message notifications[1] are implemented? Is it open to us third party app developers?<p>[1] When a message is sent to someone without Allo installed, they'll still receive a notification and can reply directly from it <a href="https://support.google.com/allo/answer/6385770" rel="nofollow">https://support.google.com/allo/answer/6385770</a>
Looks like this is an attempt to do the same thing that iMessage has done for iPhone. If Apple released iMessage for Android it would probably lay waste to most other messaging services. People will pay to get upgraded to the blue bubble.<p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=green%20bubble%20text&src=typd" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/search?q=green%20bubble%20text&src=typd</a>
From those gifs in the post, I assume it requires Google to scan every word I send. It will sense my tone to change the text style, and suggest how I should response. Well, why don't you just say it for me then? I'd love to see a bot representing me talks to my friends. And, a messaging app provides Incognito mode, lol, is there any other way to imply my conversation isn't private enough?
I'm quite sure the "smart reply" feature will eventually have a Google Gorilla scandal[1] of its own.<p>1. <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/07/01/google-mistakenly-tags-black-people-as-gorillas-showing-limits-of-algorithms/" rel="nofollow">http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/07/01/google-mistakenly-tag...</a>
Google is a mess. Really sad to see they're doubling down even further on invading user privacy, never mind the encryption that isn't even enabled by default. Pathetic.
Does not seem to work with Google Apps account.<p>Which makes the list:<p>* Allo<p>* Google Fi<p>* Google Play Music Family Plan<p>* Google Play Store Family Sharing<p>* Google Spaces<p>* Google Trips<p>* YouTube Red<p>* YouTube Music<p>It's a growing list.<p>I'm always amused by the "One account. All of Google" header on the login pages. Google Apps accounts do not grant access to all of Google as the products do not work for it (it's not a permissions thing the domain admin can fix).
Google is the kid who accomplishes little despite having a genius IQ as he's unable to focus.<p>Google needs to build a single messaging application (ala iMessage) into Android, Gmail, Google Docs, etc. Then, once that's done, support the messaging app on all mobile platforms.<p>Most people outside the tech world do not even know what iMessage is, but they use it daily. That is how integrated it is into Apple products - perfect. Google can do this on a much larger scale, but chooses, instead, to focus on pet projects they'll lay out to pasture in 12 months.<p>APPL and AMZN are going to eat Google's lunch.
So how do I get this going? Ask my friends to install a new messaging app just to talk with me? Unsure if I have that much of an influence even if I wanted people to switch. :P
Isn't the main feature of this (smart reply) something that can be easily implemented by other messaging apps? And the stickers/emojis and Google Assistant are already available in other apps. Granted, Google has the power to integrate things really well and make it a premium experience that can win users over. Also, how does this relate to Google Hangouts/Gmail Chat? Lots of questions so it will be interesting to see how this will turn out.
According to reports Allo doesn't support quick reply on Android N, any kind of reply on Android Wear, or notifications on more than one device. If there was any chat app that should support all of those it should be Google's new and shiny, which begs the question: Have Google made these features hard to use on Android, or are Allo's developers just not good at writing Android apps?
Google Allo: Why people such as Edward Snowden are advising against using the app<p><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/google-allo-should-i-download-it-privacy-issues-problems-fixes-snowden-a7321216.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/fea...</a>
Great. Let's plan an experiment of using smart replies on both sides. It's like 2 bots chatting! Hope the smart reply adapts to individual's style with time, otherwise, it gets boring easily and the other party might know when a template response sent as 'sorry, no longer interested in you!'
TL;DR; "We had to react very quickly to Apple updated iMessage so instead of updating one of our existing clients we rolled out this new App which is a carbon copy of iMessage*"<p>PS: Oh and yeah we have made this useless encryption as an opt-in per session variable instead of standard...
In many countries, "allo" is the first word of a phone conversation.<p>But Google Allo doesn't do any phone call, I think it will confuse users.<p><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/All%C3%B4" rel="nofollow">https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/All%C3%B4</a>
I just don't understand why. Encryption and stickers and gifs are things you could add to hangouts easily. 'Assistant' is just a wrapper for google now in a less convenient form. What is the point.
The useless predictive reply stuff makes it feel more like a tech demo than an actual product. Why on Earth would I want a machine actually expressing sentiment for me, even if it's really cool that it can?
Does Allo also require one to necessarily allow access to contacts on the device to use it? This was a must in Duo, and so I abandoned the app after denying it permission to access my contacts because it wouldn't work otherwise (like allowing me to enter a phone number manually). Regardless of what other people generally do, I wouldn't want to upload my complete contacts list to a service provider like Google (or Facebook).<p>Also, the default being not end-to-end encrypted is not favorable to me. But I do like the option of having it available (like Telegram's secret chat).
So if Allo, Whatsapp and Signal itself use the protocol and implementation of Signal, wouldn't it be possible to freely choose one of these clients which then can communicate with all other clients?
My response is the same as when Duo came out <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12297084" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12297084</a>
I find it interesting that people are complaining both about the lack of a web app and about Google keeping message history on their servers. I'm assuming they will eventually build a web app, but you can't build a useful one unless you have the message history on the server, encrypted in such a way that the web server can decrypt it and serve it to the browser.<p>Unfortunately, you really do have to choose between privacy and having a web app. I'm not sure which I value more, TBH.
Just installed the app and asked the google assistant - "Are you on Facebook?"<p>The reply -> "I'm not on facebook, but I do like things a lot (y)"
I just texted a friend and she replied "Good morning... why google allo". The message that she received from me included a message letting her know that I added her to Google Allo to chat along with a link to unsubscribe. I normally try to have more substance in my comments than just an anecdote, but this is simply highly un-nerving...
>but everyone at both school and work these days shifts seamlessly from mobile to dekstop and back<p>Maybe the communication protocol is based on Hangout. Some people reverse-engineered the protocol and open-sourced it. It's called hangups.<p>I'm not sure, but was WhatsApp mobile-only in the past and someone reverse-engineered the modified XMMP protocol? never used it.
So this is what I get when I use Google Assistant. <a href="http://www.pixelstech.net/fun/279-Am-I-talking-to-Google-Assistant-or-ET" rel="nofollow">http://www.pixelstech.net/fun/279-Am-I-talking-to-Google-Ass...</a>
> <i>Google Allo makes it easier for you to respond quickly and keep the conversation going, even when you’re on the go. With Smart Reply, you can respond to messages with just a tap, so you can send a quick “yup” in response to a friend asking “Are you on your way?” Smart Reply will also suggest responses for photos. If your friend sends you a photo of their pet, you might see Smart Reply suggestions like “aww cute!” And whether you’re a “haha” or “” kind of person, Smart Reply will improve over time and adjust to your style.</i><p>So for Google instead of snowflakes we are glorified chat bots?
I like it. I hope one day it can imitate me so well I can delegate all my chats to it. It will be like a mini-me!<p>> <i>Have some fun. Ask your Assistant to share that funny YouTube video or play games with friends right in your group chat — for instance you can compete to guess a movie title based on a series of emojis.</i><p>Oh great, now I have a tireless assistant to help me spam my friends and make them procrastinate!
Is it weird to anyone else that the first GIF they show is of an iPhone using Allo and not Android? What message is Google trying to send (excuse the pun)? To me, it really shows that they are prioritizing iPhone over Android...
I installed it and am comparing it to updates in macOS Sierra that I installed today.<p>Even though Siri hooks into Wolfram Alpha so it does very well with 'calculation style' questions and general world questions, without Google's greater knowledge of what we are doing it can't compete.<p>The question for people to answer individually is do they want give up more private information and have a great Google experience, or, they want more privacy, in which case Apple comes out the winner.<p>With Allo, asking about my future airline reservations works, but asking for future shuttle reservations did not, which was surprising since Google Inbox highlights the upcoming shuttle reservation.<p>EDIT: it turns out that you can't make Allo your SMS app on Android, it is separate. Allo looks cool, but I deregistered and uninstalled it: SMS, email, and separate Google Now works well for me.
I Have WhatsApp running on my iPhone, Windows PC, on my iMac and Laptop. I haven't tried Allo yet, but I'm not happy with any app like this taking off that isn't cross-platform.
This reminds me a lot of Telegram in incognito vs secret chat and the stickers. I wish Google good luck in such a competive field and especially one that is completely dependent on the network effect
Google just keeps pushing boundaries trying to legitimise spying. This is really creepy, and its surprising that Google and folks who work there think its ok to do this. Might as well have an NSA drone tail you.<p>It's as if Google's ad business is just a front for a global intelligence gathering operation.<p>There is a real problem with Google here and a golden opportunity for less privacy invading businesses to take its place. I am sure as users becoming more aware they will increasingly gravitate to businesses that can operate less creepily.
If they want an instant network effect there's a really simple play...integrate it with Pokemon Go. If it's the only official IM program that'll work with/is tightly coupled with Pokemon Go enough people will install it.<p>Might sound silly but I think that would actually be a great play for Google.
Great, another App we'll get bundled in our Android devices. (>_<) I don't think so Google!<p><a href="https://telegram.org/" rel="nofollow">https://telegram.org/</a>
I don't like canned replies. I made a tampermonkey [0] user script [1] to remove auto reply suggestions from Google Inbox, they drove me nuts. I found them utterly patronising! If only I could remove them from my phone, too.<p>[0] <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/tampermonkey/dhdgffkkebhmkfjojejmpbldmpobfkfo?hl=en" rel="nofollow">https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/tampermonkey/dhdgf...</a>
[1] <a href="https://gist.github.com/ryan-allen/fd45c6f7396fffe28b6b3b51797bb14f" rel="nofollow">https://gist.github.com/ryan-allen/fd45c6f7396fffe28b6b3b517...</a>