3 Useful Features About Google's Newest Messaging App, Allo

Updated on 9/30/2016 at 10:45 AM

Here's one app you might want to make room for: Google's newest messaging app, Allo. The app, free and available for both Android and iOS, is fun and easy to use. But with plenty of messaging apps out there, including iMessage, the default one for iOS users, you probably won't end up downloading it.

What features does Allo include?

The app has several features that iMessage and Facebook Messenger have: you can send stickers, make emoji tiny or large, and draw on photos (currently an Android-only feature). But the app's best aspects are Smart Reply, Incognito, and Google Assistant, and they are enough to give Allo a try.

What are some reasons I should give Allo a chance?

Smart Reply reads your messages and suggests already-written responses you can send with a single tap. The feature works on photos as well. It's perfect for anyone who's planning dinner or meeting up with a friend and doesn't need to personalize their answer.

If you want any messages to truly stay private, there's Incognito mode. The message uses "end-to-end encryption" and lets you set a timer on the message to expire. Currently, in iOS, you need to download another app to use within iMessage to achieve the same result. Or, as I sometimes do, switch to Snapchat and send something and hope no one screenshots it.

What's the best part about Allo anyway?

The most useful aspect of Allo is Google Assistant. No, it doesn't have a cute name like Siri, but that's because it's even better than Siri. You can chat with Google Assistant in your own conservation or insert into a message just by typing @google and asking your question. While that is semiuseful, Google Assistant works better as a stand-alone conversation. You can ask it the weather or the latest news, plan out your travel, and so much more.

While it's nice not to switch between apps and stay within a message, I'm not sure anyone needs to download Allo just to use Google Assistant. You can easily access similar features without it — especially on iOS. Want the news? Head to Apple News or download a curated news reader. Trying to plan a trip? You can download Google's other app Google Trips to figure out itineraries or use Destinations on Google and achieve a similar result. Want to figure out where the nearest pharmacy around you is? You can use either Apple or Google Maps to do so. Using these other apps and websites isn't as easy or convenient as talking to Google Assistant, but I don't think anyone's life is any less productive without it.

Ahead, see photos of the app in action and decide for yourself if you need it in your life.

Smart Reply is perfect for quick, easy-to-respond-to messages.

In a hurry or just planning something with a friend? Google Allo will suggest responses based on the context of your message. So if your friend says something like "Let's meet for dinner," Allo will include two to three ready-to-use responses to send with a single tap.

Your new best friend is Google Assistant.

Google Assistant is here for anything you need — literally. Need to find a restaurant or share a cute photo? Just ask @google and it'll do the work for you. You can also talk to Google Assistant on its own if you want to plan something privately for yourself (or someone not on Allo).

Make any conversation secure and private.

Keep a conversation private with Incognito mode on Allo. You can choose a time frame for the conversation to expire — useful if it's sensitive information. Plus, any message you send or receive in Incognito mode can only be seen if you are in the app and message thread itself.

Send all the stickers you want.

The sticker feature, also out on iMessage and Facebook Messenger, includes a variety of sticker packs to send to your friends and family. You can also draw on photos — but that's only available on Android currently. Not enough for you? The app also makes the texts big or small, allowing you to really express how you feel.