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Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

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

#341

Post by reitanqild »

guessmyname wrote: post #285
djhworld wrote: post #274

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use WhatsApp Web quite a lot, it's not perfect, but it's a nice interface to use when you have access to a desktop/laptop and can continue your conversations there.

But forget to touch your phone for a couple of minutes and the web session will automatically disconnect because the phone went to standby mode, which apparently interferes with the sync between the mobile application and the web browser session. My experience is that I can only rely on the web for a short conversation until my phone goes to sleep.

Used to be my main reason to promote Telegram.

Of course now that Facebook owns Whatsapp and has decided (again) to show users what fools they where and who is the boss, all the more reasons to promote Telegram, matrix, irc etc ;-)

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

#342

Post by janvidar »

Tehnix wrote: post #317
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…

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 messages cannot be read from within the app without installing Messenger. Using the browser no longer work for reading these messages, since they are pushing the Messenger app.

The only sad part here are the few "friends" that actually write their messages to /dev/null trying to reach me...

I've been contemplating disabling my FB account altogether, but it turns out it is required sometimes for authentication. Spotify being an important one for me.

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

#344

Post by baldfat »

tim333 wrote: post #326
baldfat wrote: post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Desktop will always be around. I just think we are moving back to the 80s and 90s where only the "Super Tech" person owned them and the rest just didn't need them. Mobile has replaced a lot of the way people spend time but for my interest and needs desktop is king. I don't watch movies on my desktop (YouTube yes) but I also don't do video editing and data science on a phone.

Also "desktop" is much less stuck on desks than it was. I'm typing this from an 11" macbook air lying on the grass in a park tethered to 4G via the phone so the thing's pretty mobile although it's "desktop" from the software point of view. I think that may be where the futures headed rather than people just using ios/android.

No I 100% mean desktop. I still have never personally bought a laptop (Work gives me them). I prefer the faster machines with dual monitors and awesome mouse and keyboard ready to go all the time.

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

#345

Post by shawabawa3 »

icebraining wrote: post #264
blunte wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does indeed appear to be their strategy; although it seems to work well enough for them. It's just a bit frustrating for users who periodically lose an app they came to depend on.

Does it work for them, though? I don't remember their successful products arising from this process; they never had a bunch of email services before Gmail, nor multiple mobile OSs before Android, nor different browsers before Chrome, etc. The closest might be Google Video before YouTube, but it wasn't really the same kind of product.

> The closest might be Google Video before YouTube, but it wasn't really the same kind of product.

Also YouTube was already the dominant player (beating google video) by the time google acquired it. It wasn't built by google

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

#346

Post by lost_name »

wanda wrote: 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 believe they've previously discussed Hangouts becoming business focused. Allo, I think, has the potential to replace the default SMS app (similar to iMessage).

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

#347

Post by pkulak »

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 have to imagine that's on the radar. They were possibly under time pressure. The problem is, I can't use this until then, and by then there will be no hype left.

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

#348

Post by nol13 »

weisser wrote: post #85
jotux wrote: post #72

So now google has Voice, Messenger, Hangouts, Allo, and Duo all with overlapping functionality? I wish they would just focus on making Hangouts work really well.

Voice is the most separate and distinct. I use my google voice number whenever I sell or buy anything on CL and I'm sure there are many other more creative uses.

I just use it to manage my voicemail, are there any viable alternatives?

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

#349

Post by Navarr »

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'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.

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

#350

Post by kyrra »

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…

You don't need a Google account to use Allo. Being phone-number driven for setup and how you are identified within the App is really the key to answering your questions.

From articles/reviews of the app from official publications, Google is saying a Desktop app is in the works, it's just not ready yet.

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