The messaging app with built-in AI is coming to the web

Feb 24, 2017 08:56 GMT  ·  By

Nick Fox, Google’s VP of Communications Products, shared a screenshot of an upcoming browser-based version of Allo messaging application on Twitter. The caption reads that the new project is in early development, but it will come to desktop eventually.

Fox didn’t say when the desktop version would be launched or whether Allo would continue to be tied to a specific device, like in the case of WhatsApp. Perhaps Google will require users to scan a QR code from the phone connected to Allo for signing up, but that’s unclear at this point.

Google already offers Hangouts, Voice, Allo, Duo, Phone and Android Messages to mobile devices, as apps for chatting and placing video calls.

Recently, Google announced that it rebranded its Messenger application as Android Messages, an RCS app that would offer more features to its users. Many smartphone makers and carriers are already on board with the move, as adoption is expected to expand to Samsung, Verizon and AT&T as well.

Allo app offers split-screen and direct reply

The screenshot of Allo for desktop, shared by Google’s official, shows a very intuitive design for the upcoming platform, including a list of chats on the left side of the screen and detailed messages on the right. The desktop version appears to allow users to send stickers and GIFs, as well as images and videos.

Most importantly, it remains to be seen how Google will integrate Allo’s main feature, AI virtual assistant support. The desktop version seems to provide some suggestions of actions based on sent messages, and we’ll have to see which other features will be integrated into the browser-based version of Allo.

Ever since it announced Allo last year, Google has been constantly working on bringing new features to the application. It provided split-screen and direct reply support for Allo on Android 7.0 Nougat and it even equipped its iOS version with Google Assistant features.