An important feature of Google Allo is the built-in search, which allows users to search by just typing @google followed by their query. This means that users don’t need to leave the chat window for searching information relevant to the current conversation. The AI-powered search is said to be based on the company’s Knowledge Graph.
Along with end-to-end encryption and self-destructing chats, Google has also extended its Incognito private mode to Allo. Users can also reportedly set time limits for their messages, setting them to self-destruct after 10 seconds, 30 seconds, a minute, an hour, a day, or longer.
Google Allo offers numerous country-specific emojis and custom stickers. However, the app lacks features like document sharing and calling, that are there in whatsapp.
Allo is designed to be a counterpart to Duo, Google’s video-chat app that rolled out to users globally in mid-August. The app too was unveiled at this year’s I/O conference.
A Google official recently said that the company is planning to add audio-calling too to the app. The company’s product lead of communication Amit Fulay recently wrote in a blog post that the voice-calling feature is “coming soon” to Duo.