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Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

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381–390 of 543 posts

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

#381
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?

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

#382
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…

Have you tried removing your device here?

https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=security&section=sessi...

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

#383
post #240

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…

I'm getting really confused. I work at a school where we wanted to do cheap and cheerful Webinars. Hangouts, with the ability to record to a Youtube channel looked ideal, but the repositioning of products is so rapid, I guess I may have to look at this all again.

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

#384

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wrong, in real life random conversations are not recorded for an unspecified time. The databases you mention have serious judicial requirements (in EU) and no free access by a company. Leaks of course happen, but they are treated seriously and are news items. If Google had a breach, they'd do the same as everyone: cover it up or PR it down and fix it. They won't go bankrupt over even a string of break-ins. There is l…

Well, real live conversations differ from digital ones. Granted that now we can talk about that topic without being in the same room, but depending the topic you won't word your opinion in certain channels, you self censored yourself depending where you are, that's why more than privacy or security what is needed is knowledge about the channel. I might got wrong the reasons why Google is secure, but I found it convin…

But you were the one who argued "In real life you have no privacy,".

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

#385
post #373

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…

I agree wholeheartedly. After installing on my Android, I almost immediately tried to install on my iPod, only to have my Android instance immediately sign out.

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

#386
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...

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

#387
post #349

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'm willing to bet that Allo (app) is their MVP. Hopefully we'll see chat sync, SMS support, Google Voice support, Desktop App in the pipeline.

Sure, but wouldn't you have also made that bet about Hangouts a few years ago? And then about Messenger? And then about Hangouts (again)? Google always looks like they have a plan, provided you ignore everything they've done prior to about 10 minutes ago.

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

#388
post #256
post #249

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There was a NYtimes article a few years ago, which I thought perfectly captured the fundamental difference between Apple and Google's product planning process. Apple runs on Intelligent Design. You have a room full of geniuses who decide what to build, make sure it fits perfectly into their overall product portfolio with minimal overlap or cannibalization, spend years in a dark secret room building it until it's perf…

The Google approach would be great, if they just separated it from the Google brand. Like, when Unilever launch a new detergent, they give it a totally separate brand. If it fails, they drop it quietly, and if it succeeds they can roll it out worldwide. I wish Google would do the same. Launch this as 'allo', with the fact that it's from alphabet buried in the small print. Once it's been doing well for a couple of yea…

Hell, it might be great if they'd just actually do that part about "doubling down on the winner".

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

#389
post #387
post #349

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm willing to bet that Allo (app) is their MVP. Hopefully we'll see chat sync, SMS support, Google Voice support, Desktop App in the pipeline.

Sure, but wouldn't you have also made that bet about Hangouts a few years ago? And then about Messenger? And then about Hangouts (again)? Google always looks like they have a plan, provided you ignore everything they've done prior to about 10 minutes ago.

Hangouts came with SMS and Desktop, iirc - as it was supposed to be an immediately migration from Google Talk. It then later got Google Voice, later got MMS, continued to "improve" (feature wise - but was terrible)

Messenger - if you're referring to the Android app - was just an SMS app from the start and nobody expected anything more from it

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

#390
post #363
post #256

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Google approach would be great, if they just separated it from the Google brand. Like, when Unilever launch a new detergent, they give it a totally separate brand. If it fails, they drop it quietly, and if it succeeds they can roll it out worldwide. I wish Google would do the same. Launch this as 'allo', with the fact that it's from alphabet buried in the small print. Once it's been doing well for a couple of yea…

Exactly. Disney has Miramax for films that don't fit under the Disney brand. Toyota has the Scion brand for quirky, weird car designs. Google could have a brand for experimental apps that they're not sure about.

I don't think Scion is a good example. They sold _exactly_ same cars under Toyota brand outside of NA market. The Scion brand was more about flat price and limited options.

And now it is dead.

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