In the beginning there was Hangouts which allowed you to chat and make multiple video calls. Now it seems that Google has decided to extrapolate the messaging and videochat part to put them in two distinct applications presented during the Google I / O 2016: Allo e Duo.
Duo for videochat, Allo as IM
Allo is a new messaging app that includes the Google assistant, so you can use it in your chats, both private and group. Since the assistant understands what you are saying, you can also ask him for information such as calendar commitments or photos from your last trip. For example, if you are organizing a dinner with friends, you can ask the assistant to suggest a restaurant nearby, always remaining within the conversation. But the best is that both Allo and Duo are based on your phone number, so you can communicate with anyone, regardless of whether they use Android or iOS.
Both apps will be available from this summer. Allo includes the function Smart Reply which suggests responses to messages you receive based on context and does it in a fun way thanks to emojis, stickers and the ability to be creative with photos. There is also an Incognito mode, where chats are protected by end-to-end encryption, show discrete notifications, and messages have an expiration time.
Together with Allo, Duo was introduced, an app for video calling between two people. With Duo, the goal is to make video calls faster and more stable even when the connection is slow. Google also created a function called Knock Knock which shows a video preview of the person calling you, before you answer. The video above will greatly clarify how Duo works.
PS: what will happen to Hangouts?
