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Google Allo finally offers web chat, but it's only for Android users
Allo, Google's beleaguered chat app that arrived on the iPhone and Android devices last year, finally has a web counterpart. Just a few minutes ago, Amit Fulay (head of product for Allo and video chat app Duo) tweeted that Allo for the web was available, but only for Android phones. To give it a go, you'll need to open the Allo app on your device and use that to scan a QR code you can generate at this link.
Google kills Talk so Hangouts may live
Google has a frankly absurd ecosystem of chat, messaging and texting apps. In theory, the company would like enterprise users to get on board with Hangouts while directing people to Allo for their day-to-day personal chats and texts. In practice, however, you've got Hangouts (in both Meet and Chat flavors) on desktop and mobile, Android Messages or Google Voice for texts and SMS messages, Google Talk living inside Gmail and no dedicated app for Allo on the desktop. Although we already knew Google was dropping texts messaging from Hangouts, the company also announced the end of Google Talk today, signaling the end of the little chat app's 12-year lifespan.
Google improves Photos and Duo for lousy connections
Google's been pretty busy this week. It added a location-sharing feature to the Maps app, started allowing sports teams and artists to post directly to its search results, teased us with a preview of Android O and vowed to make sure all Android phones are updated quickly. But it's not done. The company also introduced ways to improve the speed of its Photos and Duo apps, even when network signals are weak.
Google is making Allo chats a lot more animated
If you've been sad at how Allo manages your GIFs and emojis, a new upgrade for the mobile-only chat app is here on Android. Today's update brings an easier way to access GIFs, 10 new animated emoji and a shortcut to Google Assistant.
Google opens up its Assistant actions to developers
When Google first unveiled its Assistant earlier this year, the service seemed to have quite a lot of potential. Unfortunately, in our testing of the company's new Home speaker and Pixel smartphones, we found the digital helper rather limited. Now that Google has opened up Assistant's developer platform, though, the service could finally become as powerful as promised.
Google Allo will up your weak emoji game
According to Google's announcement for Allo's latest features, people only use three percent of all emojis available. Well, the Allo team don't want their creations to go to waste, so they've launched "Smart Smiley" to make sure you discover emojis you won't typically use. When you tap on the Smart Smiley button while you're typing a message, the chat app will conjure up a list of suggestions based on context clues. It could suggest the burger, noodles, curry or cutlery emoticons when you type the word "food," or the alligator emoji when you type "later," sort of like what happens in iOS 10's Messages app. The feature can make suggestions before you even type anything based on your conversation history.
Brits, say Allo to Google's new messaging app
You might think that between your family thread on Facebook Messenger, your various friend groups on WhatsApp, and the trusted text a few acquaintances still insist on using, you've got all possible lines of communication covered. But spare a thought for Allo, Google's latest attempt to be more than just a fringe player in messaging. Allo made its debut on far-flung shores earlier this week, but as of today it's now available in the UK for Android and iOS.
Allo brings Google's 'Assistant' to your phone today
If you're going to unveil a new messaging app, it had better do something unique. At this point, finding a place amongst entrenched options like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and iMessage is not an easy task. Google didn't quite pull it off with Hangouts when it launched in 2013. Sure, it's installed on basically every Android phone out there and anyone with a Gmail account has probably tried it, but Google's messaging strategy never quite came together in a compelling or clear way. So Google is rebooting yet again with Allo, a mobile-only messaging app that leverages the company's biggest strengths in an effort to stand out from the pack. That strength is the vast amount of knowledge Google has about you and the world around you. It shows up in the app via the Google Assistant, a conversational chatbot that provides you and your friends with contextual info based on your chat history. The bot will show up across multiple Google products, including Google Home, but this is our first look at it in action.
Google Allo's sticker packs are weird and wonderful
Google's Allo messaging app is on the horizon, and Android Police has an early look at what we can expect out of the sticker packs with which you can decorate your conversations with others. At a glance, they're pretty out there.
Microsoft's new acquisition can enhance Cortana's chat bots
Looks like Microsoft has been on a shopping spree. Hot on the heels of its massive LinkedIn purchase, the company announced that it's acquired three-year-old messaging-app maker Wand Labs. In a statement, Microsoft said that the acquisition would "accelerate [its] vision and strategy for Conversation as a Platform." Unveiled at the company's Build 2016 conference in March, Conversation embeds AI bots into Cortana to let users access third-party services within a chat.
Google's Allo puts AI in a messaging app
Google took the veil off a new messaging app today and it's called Allo. It's not a Hangouts replacement but rather a standalone app that looks kind of like Facebook Messenger or Whatsapp. The key difference between Allo and Hangouts is that Allo comes with some machine learning built right in, courtesy of Google's newly announced personal assistant. As Google engineering director Erik Kay explained on stage during today's I/O keynote, Allo is a smart messaging app that "learns over time" to make conversations easier and more productive.