>As part of that effort, Google says it’s “pausing” work on its most recent entry into the messaging space, Allo. It’s the sort of “pause” that involves transferring almost the entire team off the project and putting all its resources into another app, Android Messages.<p>I won't even <i>try</i> to fit the various SMS clients android phones have had into my list, but as an android user since ~2010, here is what has been asked of me<p>1. Use default SMS<p>2. Nah, use samsung's<p>3. Never mind, they all suck, just find one on the appstore<p>4. Look, Google Voice (app)! And it works with your google voice number! Wifi texting, neat! ~2011<p>5. Never mind, stuff that, use Hangouts! Also works with your google voice number! (but no mms!) ~2012<p>6. Wait a second, here's a couple more SMS apps built into android. ~2013, 2014<p>7. MMS yay!<p>8. Never mind, dump hangouts, we updated google voice finally! ~2015?<p>9. Here's two new chat apps, neither can text though! Good luck remembering which is for which (2016)<p>10. Fuck it, no more SMS on hangouts. 2017?<p>11. Lol nah to Allo as well, we're gonna make another SMS app. Were you still using google voice? <--- we are here
This was sadly predictable. And according to the article, Google is making another app, a service that will not only depend on Google, but on carrier buy-in to a standard called "Rich Communication Services" as well. (<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/19/17252486/google-android-messages-chat-rcs-anil-sabharwal-imessage-texting" rel="nofollow">https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/19/17252486/google-android-m...</a>) From the article:<p>> We can’t do it without these [carrier and OEM] partners. We don’t believe in taking the approach that Apple does. We are fundamentally an open ecosystem.<p>I think I heard the same spiel for Google Talk nearly a decade ago. Am I a cynic for thinking Android Messages will suffer the same fate?<p>Also - I'm pleasantly surprised to learn that Duo (the video messaging app) is fairly successful, according to Google's own metrics. I always did like Hangouts video chat; it was good at what it did.
Another proof that one should not rely on any service Google offers! What happened to Inbox, and the dozens of other services, which show that Google has a very poor product development! The amount of confusion and similar offering is just beyond anyone's imagination! From Google Talk to Google Voice to Hangouts to Hangouts on Air and now this got broken into Hangouts Chat and Meet to Duo and Allo and now RCS - wow! And I won't mention Google Spaces, Google Wave, and many others we don't even remember anymore! I'm not sure why they need to fragment the communication space into so many products!
The result of all this "wait, no, this!" change?<p>I don't use any Google IM product, at all, any more. (And at one point, post AIM, they were my first choice.)<p>Buh bye
LOL @ "pause".<p>Would be quite the news to see "Google resuming investment in Allo" at this point.<p>Google's relationship with IM's is becoming a farce at this point. If you want to roll out an IM or chat service you/friends/company are to use and depend on, just make sure Google is not "backing" it. They clearly don't know what they are doing. I have lost track of their attempts. I wouldn't be surprised if they have tried with six or so incompatible systems by now.