Google's bid for smarter messaging hits market

The person simply opens it in the notifications bar an responds within the app - all done without SMS charge or the bother to download the app.

The latest messaging app, Google Allo, is finally out. The Google Allo is like any other chat app out there, albeit more refined and has a very simple, and intuitive interface. Google Assistant even lets you play games with your chat partners. Allo is for consumers but it won't offer video calling. When the app was first announced in May, Snowden had tweeted, "Google's decision to disable end-to-end encryption was unsafe", and that people should avoid the app.

Google said it will use the data it collects to improve the app in certain areas, such as smart replies. Well, of course, the user is free to type their own response. It'll ask if you want to take a look at restaurants nearby.

On September 21, Google rolled out a new AI-centric messaging app, named Allo. But Google had announced another privacy feature back in May, one that wouldn't require chats to be stored on its servers.

With Allo, Google is also including a preview edition of the Google Assistant. It works just like Google but feels more like a conversation and less like a search and retrieval interaction. Google Allo has a built-in assistant that helps the user search for information that they need to find on the web. Once you send a message, it shows you Blue ticks similar to the Facebook Messenger but adds the single tick for sent and double for seen just like WhatsApp Messenger.

The ex-NSA contractor posted a series of Tweets to everyone away from the chat app, which he says will “record every message you ever send and make it available to police upon request”. So far, the Smart Reply and Google Assistant functionality are only available in English, but Google promises more languages are coming soon. It doesn't require additional hunting for the right bot to get an answer.

At the time, the team behind the app said that the app will only keep temporary message logs but confirmed on Wednesday that it will store all non-incognito messages until a user deletes them. "The AI has the ability to send weather updates or cricket scores and can also suggest what to reply to your friends" messages. Anyone who tries to intercept them will only see a jumble of characters. In Incognito mode, messages have end-to-end encryption and additional privacy features. The messages can be timed according to your preference from 5 seconds to an hour.

Although the app is created to offer users a more tailored experience, critics including Edward Snowden thinks storing this data is against human rights.

Users can also use stickers and scribble on photos before sending them.