Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

googleblog.blogspot.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

371–380 of 543 posts

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#371

Post by nickspacek »

buro9 wrote: post #357

Does not seem to work with Google Apps account. Which makes the list: * Allo * Google Fi * Google Play Music Family Plan * Google Play Store Family Sharing * Google Spaces * Google Trips * YouTube Red * YouTube Music It's a growing list. 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 no…

I wonder if they do this to limit the potential of rolling breaking changes out to their enterprise Google Apps accounts and the like? The servers running the Google Apps accounts and applications probably have a different update policy.

It's frustrating for sure, which is why I ended up making my Google Apps (old/free version) account just an alias for my Gmail address.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#372

Post by _blz2 »

spullara wrote: post #23

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. https://twitter.com/search?q=green%20bubble%20text&src=typd

Haha wow. I don't know what to make of this. Is being an apple user this important now a days?

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#373

Post by nilkn »

TuringNYC wrote: post #254

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. What I don't understand is -- given Allo had a blank sl…

I totally agree and am so glad to see someone else here to feels similarly to me.

There are already good text messaging apps. For a general messaging solution, I don't want something tied down exclusively to my phone. If the emphasis is on photo sharing (e.g., Snapchat), then that can still make sense. But if the emphasis is just on text, then I want to be able to use a desktop or web app whenever I'm using a laptop or desktop. Not being able to do so is honestly a dealbreaker for me.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#374

Post by Pxtl »

icebraining wrote: post #200
sidcool wrote: post #182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Calling Google a clusterfuck of a company is appalling. They would not do this without a strategic thought. Even Facebook has Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and FB itself. All doing pretty well.

How did that strategy work for Buzz, Wave, Lively, Jaiku, Meebo and Talk? Their strategy seems to be throwing stuff at the wall and trying to get something to stick.

And when it does stick, half the time they ignore it while it oozes down the wall anyways. Hangouts was a success but they treat it like a failure.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#375

Post by thebaer »

CoryG89 wrote: post #366
sbarre wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Huh.. I had never looked at Duo and I scrolled down the landing page and saw "Preview incoming video calls before accepting them" and now I want FaceTime and Skype to immediately integrate that.. That's a killer feature..

Maybe it's just me, but I kind of find this a bit creepy. It seems to me that it would be similar if the phone companies allowed you to listen to someone calling you while it was still ringing for them. Maybe it's not quite what I am thinking though. I can't tell if the video preview is live or if it's something recorded before the call is made.

It's live, and it says at the top: "the camera is on" basically. It's like the call already started as far as the caller is concerned -- no ringing necessary.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#376

Post by asciihacker »

TuringNYC wrote: post #254

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. What I don't understand is -- given Allo had a blank sl…

> 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.

WhatsApp does not run on tablets... period.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#379

Post by jeppebemad »

janvidar wrote: post #342
Tehnix wrote: post #317

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Breaking facebook messenger out into its own app was the best decision facebook ever made! I chat via messenger a lot more than I check my newsfeed, and when I check my newsfeed I don't care about messages. Perfect split for me at least :)

I don't want Facebook Messenger, and the Facebook app cannot be uninstalled on my device since it came preinstalled with the Android OS on it (HTC One - it can however be disabled). Now, if someone uses Facebook Messenger to send me a message, my Facebook app will notify me about unread messages - I've disabled most notifications, but the icon still gets a number increase indicating messages that can be read. These m…

For me at least, the messenger is still working on Facebook.com, also on messenger.com. I'm sure it does for you too?

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#380

Post by soylentcola »

snowfield wrote: post #329
soylentcola wrote: post #300

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is exactly why so many of my friends and family use Hangouts née Gmail Chat. We can use it in the browser at work just by keeping Gmail open in a tab. No IM applications to install or concerns about whether we're running Windows, OSX, or whatever. Then the conversations follow when you log off whatever desktop or laptop you're on via the mobile app. About half of us use Android so it either comes standard or you…

I dont see how breaking out the messaging part was bad, the messenger app is far superior to the normal one and the chatheads is great. has the same benefit as hangouts, (multiplatform)

Just speaking for myself but I liked being able to just open Facebook when I want to look at Facebook. That goes for PMs people send me on Facebook.

I didn't want a second app running at all times in the background when my goal was to minimize Facebook usage when possible.

Now I have to jump through hoops to check messages every once in a while on my phone because they make it so they won't show up on mobile unless you install their secondary app or switch to a desktop user agent.

So now I just check messages once or twice a week on desktop and use their service even less often.

Post reply on HN