Google officially rolled out Allo, the smart messaging app that it first announced during its I/O developer show earlier this year.
“Today, we’re releasing Google Allo, a new smart messaging app for Android and iOS that helps you say more and do more right in your chats. Google Allo can help you make plans, find information, and express yourself more easily in chat,” wrote Google Group Product Manager Amit Fulay in a blog post.
The company is joining an already crowded marketplace: WhatsApp, Apple iMessage, Facebook Messenger or Google Hangouts have already likely found a place on consumers’ mobile phones.
The big differentiator, according to Google, is the inclusion of artificial intelligence features in the app, for example, the built-in search assistant. Allo, which is clearly targeted toward the young crowd with its abundance of static and animated stickers and emoji, is designed to learn its users’ habits over time.
While the company did not reveal the marketing and advertising implications of the platform, elements like the chatbot could provide brands with a useful customer service feature.
The new messaging app is available immediately to both iOS and Android users, and Google indicated it has big future plans for the app and its new features.
“Over the coming months, your Assistant will be available in more Google products, working seamlessly throughout your day at home or on the go,” Fulay wrote. “The Assistant will initially be available in English, with more languages coming soon.”