However, this is an SMS app, not an instant messaging solution. Google now recommends using the Google Messages app on Android as an alternative. Experts recommended avoiding it, as Google stored all messages exchanged on the service. While it had an Incognito chat feature for private notifications, encrypted chat, and the ability to have messages expire after a set time, Allo came under fire for its poor privacy practices. By typing you could ask the Assistant for directions, information, and other details that you and your chat partner would both see.Īside from these major features, Allo allowed you to adjust the size of your messages to 'whisper' or 'shout' through text. At the time, this was a big deal, as Google Assistant debuted in Allo before it was available on all Android and iOS devices as it is now.

It also protects calls with end-to-end encryption.Īnother standout feature of Allo was the Google Assistant integration. It's optimized for low-quality networks and switches between Wi-Fi and mobile data automatically, so you shouldn't experience many interruptions. That's really all there is to it Google didn't add many frills to Duo. Google says this is 'o make calls feel more like an invitation rather than an interruption' and gives you an idea of what someone is up to before you start talking.įinally, Google Duo features a low-light mode to help improve call conditions when it's dark. The only real standout feature of Duo is 'Knock Knock,' which lets you see a live preview of the person calling you before you accept the call. Plus, you can ask Google Assistant to call someone for you. If you use Google's Phone, Contacts, or Messages apps on Android, it's easy to call contacts with Duo using shortcuts in those apps. You can also make audio-only calls if you'd prefer not to show your face. Using the Google Duo app is simple: just tap on any of your contacts to start a call.

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