Google Allo – a new messaging app from Google and it has already hit the 1 million download milestone in less than a week after launch

Google Allo, the latest messaging app from Google, was launched last week on Wednesday. The app launch first took place in select markets then expanded to other parts of the world the following day. Kenya is proud to be among the countries that this app is available for download. You only need to head over to the Google play store and grab your copy.

The interesting bit is that Google Allo has managed to achieve 1 million downloads in less than a week after launch. This major milestone was crossed on Sunday. This is impressive given that other messaging apps like WhatsApp Messenger, Facebook Messenger and Telegram Messenger were available in the market before Google Allo’s launch. It is speculated that the download figure ranges between 1 million and 5 million.

For those who are not aware, Google Allo is a new messaging app from Google. For the basics it lets you send stickers, draw on photos and send media from your phone. The feature that differentiates it from the other messaging apps like Facebook Messenger is its deep integration with Google’s artificial intelligence.

Google’s Artificial Intelligence

When anyone sends you a message in Google Allo you’ll notice suggested replies that pop up. “Okay” or “Got it” are the common phrases as of now. Google’s AI will get smarter and begin to suggest personalized phrases based on people’s speech once more people begin to use the app. The difference could be as simple as suggesting “LOL” rather than “haha.”

Google Assistant

Google Allo also includes a chat helper called “Google Assistant”. The assistant can answer questions about the weather, nearby restaurants or directions to places and it works a lot like Apple’s Siri or Microsoft’s Cortana. The only drawback is that you write to it rather than talk.  The awesome bit is that Google Assistant can be called upon in any text message, and its answers to questions are shared to everyone in the chat.

To wow you even further you can also ask Google Assistant follow-up questions like “What’s the weather?” and then “What about this weekend?”

Incognito Mode

Incognito Mode enables end-to-end encryption. With this feature no one but the recipient and sender are able to read the message. Incognito Mode also lets you set an expiration on any of your messages. When the timer goes off, your message deletes forever. This feature has been available in Telegram Messenger for a while now. It is good to see other messaging apps adapting it.

For its encryption purposes Incognito Mode uses the Signal Protocol. The Signal Protocol is currently the best standard in end-to-end encryption. This gives it the same standards of security currently enjoyed by WhatsApp Messenger.

The most important things to note is that Incognito Mode is an opt-in feature and Google Assistant is not available in Incognito Mode.