Google Allo - The Wait Is Over!

Google's Alo: A Revolutionary Messaging App?

Today, Google has finally launched its highly anticipated messaging app, Alo, on the very last day of summer. As promised, this release marks a significant milestone for the tech giant, and we're excited to dive into what makes Alo tick.

Signing Up for Alo

The process of signing up for Alo is straightforward. When you first open the app, you'll be asked to provide your phone number, which will serve as your unique identifier within the platform. This step is crucial in setting up your account and ensuring that you can communicate effectively with others on the platform.

Exploring the Google Assistant

One of the standout features of Alo is its integration with Google's AI-powered assistant, Google Assistant. As we explored during our demo, this feature allows users to engage in conversations with the assistant about various topics, including sports games like Conor McGregor or Ronda Rousey. The assistant will provide recommendations and respond accordingly, making it an excellent tool for staying informed on your favorite subjects.

Quick Reply Cards

Alo introduces a new concept called quick reply cards, which are designed to make communication even more efficient. These pre-written responses can be used in various situations, such as when responding to messages from friends or family members. The quick reply card feature is sure to become an essential tool for many users, making it easier to navigate everyday conversations.

Using Alo with Friends and Family

To demonstrate the app's capabilities, we created a conversation with our friend Nian. Upon sending the first message, we were greeted by a checkmark indicating that the message had been sent successfully. If Nian responded within a short period, we'd receive another confirmation to let us know he'd read it. This double-check system ensures that messages are delivered and received accurately.

Adding Stickers and Emojis

Alo's sticker collection is quite extensive, featuring unique designs created in collaboration with specific artists. These stickers add a fun touch to the app, allowing users to express themselves more effectively. We found the stickers to be engaging and enjoyable to use, adding an extra layer of personality to our conversations.

Sending Photos and Files

In addition to messaging, Alo also enables users to send photos and files. This feature is particularly useful for sharing content with friends or family members who might not have access to other messaging apps. By sending images or documents, users can share their experiences and thoughts in a more tangible way.

Drawing on Messages

One of the most innovative features we discovered in Alo is its ability to draw directly on messages. This feature allows users to create simple sketches or doodles within the conversation thread, which can be used to convey emotions or add a personal touch. We found this feature to be both creative and entertaining, adding an extra layer of depth to our interactions.

Making Emphatic Messages

To emphasize certain points in a message, Alo introduces a unique feature that allows users to press and hold the send button. By doing so, you can adjust the size of your message based on how far up or down you scroll. This clever trick provides an added layer of expression, making it easier to convey importance or excitement within a conversation.

Auto-Reply Feature in Notifications

Alo's auto-reply feature in notifications is another convenient feature that helps streamline communication. This allows users to respond automatically to incoming messages without having to manually type out responses. The auto-reply feature can be especially useful for users who receive frequent messages from friends or family members, making it easier to manage their inbox.

End-to-End Encryption

While Google has not implemented end-to-end encryption in Alo's regular messaging features, the app does offer a secure way to communicate through incognito mode. In this private space, conversations will expire after 5 seconds if no response is received within that timeframe. Users can also extend the conversation by turning off the timer and letting it run for up to one week.

Limitations of Alo

While Google's Alo has made significant strides in improving communication, there are some limitations to consider. One notable issue we discovered is when chatting with people who aren't using Alo. In these situations, the app sends a different number like 4 or 5 digits instead of the actual phone number. This behavior can lead to confusion and makes it challenging for users to communicate effectively across different messaging platforms.

Conclusion

Google's launch of Alo marks an exciting new chapter in the world of messaging apps. With its innovative features, including Google Assistant integration, quick reply cards, and stickers, Alo is poised to revolutionize the way we communicate. While some limitations have been identified, these don't detract from the overall user experience. As with any new platform, it will take time for users to adapt and become accustomed to the unique features of Alo. Nevertheless, with its promise of improved communication and efficiency, Alo has already made a strong impression on our initial impressions.

Join the Discussion

We'd love to hear your thoughts about Google's Alo! Share your experiences, opinions, or suggestions in the comments section below. Are you excited to try out this new messaging app? What features do you think will become essential for users? Let us know by sharing your insights and helping us shape the future of communication.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhat's going on guys Ron per here from techno Buffalo and today is a big day because Google has finally launched aloe on the very last day of summer so they've kept their promise of a summer release so let's go ahead and take a look at what's up with Alo so I already signed up and you do so with your phone number which I asked you when you first open up the app as you can see I already have a couple conversations going on the first thing I want to go over is the Google assistant so as you can see I'm having a conversation here with Google Assistant about Conor McGregor as I should be and it basically interacts with you and you can basically type in any sort of question you have whether it be about Conor McGregor in this case a sports game and then it also as you can see gives you recommendations automatically what about Floyd Mayweather what about Ronda Rousey and by clicking on it Google Assistant will come with the response and it brings up her profile automatically it's pretty good Google did say this is sort of almost like a beta uh version so don't take it as though it's finished but it does really really well and I like it I like having it right there in my messaging app now these sort of quick reply cards here as mentioned are going to be a common theme so now let's say I hop into a conversation and let's say I'm talking with nian and then this is how we get a confirmation here we're going to have this little check mark to shows it send and then if it's a double check it'll be once he's read it he has read it we got a double check he responded and now I get an auto reply option how are you we can also go on hit this plus button and we can use stickers I'm a huge fan of these stickers uh apparently Google got specific artists to make these and I'm a real big fan of them they're very fun they're very unique and uh they sort of add a new touch of flavor anyway so this is super addictive and super fun you can also send photos you can also take photos and then send those and this is another cool little feature you can actually go ahead and draw on them so you can scribble on them do whatever you want and then send and they become a part of the conversation so as you can see it's all very fluid and it works really well it's very fast one of the last things is let's say you want to make an emphatic message you can type something press and hold the send button and then depending on how far up or down you scroll that is how big or small that ooh couldn't have said it better myself and as you can see we got a quick little preview right there when we got a respon it actually also allows for auto replies in the notifications so awesome stuff and standard stuff here from other messaging apps you can do a voice recording by pressing and holding and then slide to cancel it and the very last feature is encryption Google talked about ENT encryption uh that has not made it to Alo however end encryption has made it in incognito mode so I have an incognito conversation here with nian as well we talk a lot this is for the inappropriate things and what we have here as you can see at the top right is a timer so the conversation with the chat will expire in our case after 5 Seconds you can turn it off it'll instantly disappear or you can do one day or one week so if we leave it to 5 Seconds you can see my message is already disappeared he said what's going on and then in 5 seconds no what happened to John let's find out and as you can see the messages disappeared so that works pretty well it's cool to have the end to end encryption here Google did say that they're not going to be doing end to end encryption in the all of the normal messaging because they want to be able to acquire data so Google Assistant can be better fitted for your needs and that's pretty much aloe the issues with aloe that I'm already realizing is when you're chatting with people who are not on aloe it sends as a different number like a four or five digit number not your actual phone number and it gets really weird it doesn't really work as a good SMS app unless the other person is using aloe as far as we can see now anyways so that's pretty much it for this video guys let me know what you think in the comments down below are you a fan of Alo are you going to go ahead and give this a shot I think there are some good things I think there are some things that are make going to make adoption kind of hard moving into the future thank you so much for watching hit subscribe if you want to see more videos like thiswhat's going on guys Ron per here from techno Buffalo and today is a big day because Google has finally launched aloe on the very last day of summer so they've kept their promise of a summer release so let's go ahead and take a look at what's up with Alo so I already signed up and you do so with your phone number which I asked you when you first open up the app as you can see I already have a couple conversations going on the first thing I want to go over is the Google assistant so as you can see I'm having a conversation here with Google Assistant about Conor McGregor as I should be and it basically interacts with you and you can basically type in any sort of question you have whether it be about Conor McGregor in this case a sports game and then it also as you can see gives you recommendations automatically what about Floyd Mayweather what about Ronda Rousey and by clicking on it Google Assistant will come with the response and it brings up her profile automatically it's pretty good Google did say this is sort of almost like a beta uh version so don't take it as though it's finished but it does really really well and I like it I like having it right there in my messaging app now these sort of quick reply cards here as mentioned are going to be a common theme so now let's say I hop into a conversation and let's say I'm talking with nian and then this is how we get a confirmation here we're going to have this little check mark to shows it send and then if it's a double check it'll be once he's read it he has read it we got a double check he responded and now I get an auto reply option how are you we can also go on hit this plus button and we can use stickers I'm a huge fan of these stickers uh apparently Google got specific artists to make these and I'm a real big fan of them they're very fun they're very unique and uh they sort of add a new touch of flavor anyway so this is super addictive and super fun you can also send photos you can also take photos and then send those and this is another cool little feature you can actually go ahead and draw on them so you can scribble on them do whatever you want and then send and they become a part of the conversation so as you can see it's all very fluid and it works really well it's very fast one of the last things is let's say you want to make an emphatic message you can type something press and hold the send button and then depending on how far up or down you scroll that is how big or small that ooh couldn't have said it better myself and as you can see we got a quick little preview right there when we got a respon it actually also allows for auto replies in the notifications so awesome stuff and standard stuff here from other messaging apps you can do a voice recording by pressing and holding and then slide to cancel it and the very last feature is encryption Google talked about ENT encryption uh that has not made it to Alo however end encryption has made it in incognito mode so I have an incognito conversation here with nian as well we talk a lot this is for the inappropriate things and what we have here as you can see at the top right is a timer so the conversation with the chat will expire in our case after 5 Seconds you can turn it off it'll instantly disappear or you can do one day or one week so if we leave it to 5 Seconds you can see my message is already disappeared he said what's going on and then in 5 seconds no what happened to John let's find out and as you can see the messages disappeared so that works pretty well it's cool to have the end to end encryption here Google did say that they're not going to be doing end to end encryption in the all of the normal messaging because they want to be able to acquire data so Google Assistant can be better fitted for your needs and that's pretty much aloe the issues with aloe that I'm already realizing is when you're chatting with people who are not on aloe it sends as a different number like a four or five digit number not your actual phone number and it gets really weird it doesn't really work as a good SMS app unless the other person is using aloe as far as we can see now anyways so that's pretty much it for this video guys let me know what you think in the comments down below are you a fan of Alo are you going to go ahead and give this a shot I think there are some good things I think there are some things that are make going to make adoption kind of hard moving into the future thank you so much for watching hit subscribe if you want to see more videos like this\n"