Google Launches New Messaging Service Named 'Allo'

Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, launched the messaging app Allo on Wednesday, which is equipped with an automatic self-learning system to 'improve' its functionality over time, in addition to the Google search service. According to Reuters, this messaging service, unveiled in May this year, will compete with similar services like WhatsApp and Facebook's Messenger. Allo has features similar to Siri, Apple's virtual assistant. Users can send their questions to a special page, and the Google search results will be sent back in response. Amit Fulay, one of the product managers for this new tool, wrote in a message on Google's blog: 'The more you use this tool, the better it gets over time.' The service has a feature called 'Smart Reply' that suggests a response for each received message, which can be sent by pressing a button or swiping on the mobile screen. Fulay added, 'For example, if your friend sends you a picture of their pet, the Smart Reply tool will suggest responses like: How cute.' Users can also add stickers or drawings while sending images. Messages sent on the Allo messaging network are only encrypted when using the 'incognito' mode. In WhatsApp's messaging network, all messages are encrypted under any circumstances. According to Alphabet, the Allo messaging service is now active and will be available worldwide in the coming days. Privacy advocates criticized Google's messaging service as soon as it launched, claiming it could pave the way for the collection of private information by security agencies. Edward Snowden, a former U.S. intelligence employee, has also warned about using this service. However, Google defends this new tool by stating that users can use the 'incognito' mode, which encrypts their messages. Google described the services of this new tool by saying: 'You no longer need to interrupt your conversations with friends to search for information that you want to send in your messages. The Allo messaging tool will help you plan easier, find the information you need, and express your meaning much more simply.' This new tool is compatible with mobile phones that use Google's Android system or Apple's iOS. According to AFP, Google faces a significant challenge in gaining a larger share of the messaging service market, which is dominated by networks like WhatsApp. Facebook acquired the WhatsApp network in 2014 for $20 billion, which now has over one billion subscribers. Facebook announced in July this year that the number of users of its messaging service has surpassed one billion. Apple has also completed and launched its messaging service in the form of the iOS 10 tool last week to keep up with this competitive market. Google's messaging tools have previously struggled to compete effectively with similar global services like WhatsApp, Viber, WeChat, and Skype.