Google Allo
Google Allo was shut down on March 12, 2019, after operating for two and a half years.
“In our view, Google treated messaging like an annual hackathon project, launching Allo to prove Assistant could chat before remembering that messaging apps actually require users.”
Our takeGoogle Allo was an AI-infused consumer messaging app launched in 2016 featuring Google Assistant and Smart Reply, which failed to gain traction and was phased out in 2019 in favor of Android Messages.
- Hype · our take
- 4/5 promised → 2/5 delivered
- Lifespan
- 902 days
- Timing · our take
- right time,
wrong execution
- Dates
- announced · shipped · discontinued
- Where
- Incumbent Product · Internal
The Pitch
Google unveiled Allo at its annual developer conference as a next-generation consumer messaging application designed to showcase conversational machine learning E2E4E4E4. Built for mobile devices across Android and iOS, Allo also later provided a web client accessible through desktop web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Opera E4. The application was offered to consumers at no financial cost, positioning intelligent chat assistance as a standard utility for everyday communication E4.
Rather than functioning solely as a standard text exchange, Allo placed the Google Assistant directly inside conversation threads E2. Users could invoke the Assistant directly within personal and group chats to query search results, make plans, coordinate shared media, and purchase goods without leaving the dialogue E2. Machine learning features generated predictive Smart Replies tailored to conversational context and incoming media, allowing users to respond with minimal typing E2E4E4E4. In addition to conversational artificial intelligence, the application provided expressive communication features including dynamically resizing text, animated graphics, and selfie stickers E2 E4.
What Happened
Google announced Allo at Google I/O in May 2016 and released the mobile application publicly in September 2016 amid substantial fanfare and industry attention E2E4 E2E4E4E4 E4. Despite prominent promotional placement as Google’s flagship artificial intelligence messaging platform, the application failed to establish the active user base needed to compete against entrenched services like WhatsApp and iMessage E4.
By early 2018, the product faced internal headwinds as its product leadership departed and Google adjusted its long-term corporate communications strategy toward the Rich Communication Services standard E4 E4. In April 2018, Google paused investment in Allo as leadership acknowledged the standalone app had not achieved hoped-for traction E4 E4. Core engineering efforts and distinct features, including Smart Reply and desktop client support, were subsequently shifted over to Android Messages E4.
In December 2018, Google announced it would discontinue Allo to focus resources on Messages, offering users an export window through the spring to retrieve conversation histories E4E4E4E4E4 E4. On March 12, 2019, Google officially decommissioned the application and closed access to its servers E4E4E4E4E4.
Why It FailedOur take
In our view, Google Allo failed because standalone messaging features cannot overcome established network effects without a compelling distribution advantage E4. Consumers already had entrenched messaging networks on platforms like WhatsApp and iMessage, meaning an AI assistant and smart replies were insufficient to motivate a wholesale platform switch E2. As a result, Google treated Allo’s primary capabilities as standalone products rather than integrating them into its default system messenger from the start E4. Google eventually absorbed Allo's core machine learning innovations directly into Messages, rendering the original app obsolete E4.
Lessons and What Would Have Worked
- In our opinion, smart features and AI assistants do not provide enough utility on their own to overturn incumbent consumer network effects.
- A platform vendor should build communications enhancements directly into its default system-level messaging client rather than distributing standalone alternative apps.
Timeline
What happened to Google Allo?
- What was Google Allo?
- Google Allo was an AI-infused consumer messaging app launched in 2016 featuring Google Assistant and Smart Reply, which failed to gain traction and was phased out in 2019 in favor of Android Messages.
- What happened to Google Allo?
- Google announced Allo at Google I/O in May 2016 and released the mobile application publicly in September 2016 amid substantial fanfare and industry attention .
- Why did Google Allo fail?
- In our view, Google Allo failed because standalone messaging features cannot overcome established network effects without a compelling distribution advantage .
Receipts
- E2Google debuts Allo, an AI-based chat app using its new assistant bot, smart replies and more | TechCrunch
Supporting quote
Today at I/O, Google took the wraps off its latest foray into the world of communications: the company announced Allo, a smart messaging app supercharged with machine learning and Google’s new Google Assistant service (its answer to Amazon’s Alexa), giving users the ability not just to chat to each other with animated graphics and enlarging/shrinking text, but to call in Google (and later other third-party apps) to share media, plan events, buy things, and even think of what to say to each other. The iOS and Android app is being unveiled today, but it will only be live this summer, Google says. If you are a Google news watcher, Allo may not come as a complete surprise: back in December the WSJ reported that the company was working on an AI-based messaging app: this appears to be that very product. The app comes at an interesting time for Google. The company has made a number of attempts at building social products over the years, but products like Google+, Wave and Buzz never really caught on at a time when other products like Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat have taken off.
- E4Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app
Supporting quote
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. And the more you use it, the more it improves over time.
- E4Google officially confirms Allo shutdown for 2019, move away from 'classic Hangouts'
Supporting quote
Starting on the consumer front, Google has “decided to stop supporting Allo to focus on Messages.” ### Messages & Google Allo Back in April, Google only noted that it was [“pausing investment](https://9to5google.com/2018/04/19/google-rcs-chat/)” on Allo, but today is [confirming our report](https://9to5google.com/2018/12/05/google-allo-shutting-down/) that the service is about to get sunset. Google Allo will be available until March 2019, with the service continuing to work until then; disregarding [today’s downtime](https://9to5google.com/2018/12/05/google-allo-down-outage/). Google provided details on how users can [export existing conversation history](https://support.google.com/allo/answer/7365005#download) from the app.
- E4The latest on Messages, Allo, Duo and Hangouts
Supporting quote
Earlier this year we paused investment in Allo and brought some of its most-loved features—like Smart Reply, GIFs and desktop support—into Messages. Given Messages’ continued momentum, we’ve decided to stop supporting Allo to focus on Messages. Allo will continue to work through March 2019 and until then, you’ll be able to export all of your existing conversation history from the app— here are instructions on how to do so. We've learned a lot from Allo, particularly what’s possible when you incorporate machine learning features, like the Google Assistant, into messaging.
- E4Google Allo
Supporting quote
Allo has signed off. We said good–bye to Allo on March 12, 2019. During our time together, we brought you a smarter way to chat, with features like the Google Assistant, Allo for web and selfie stickers. We’re working to bring your favorite features to the Messages app so you can have richer conversations with all your friends. If you have an Android phone, we hope you’ll try Messages!
- E4Google shutting down Allo
Supporting quote
Key Points - Google is killing Allo, the chat app that it launched two years ago. - The app will stop work in March 2019, at which point users will have to download any conversations they want to save. - Google has long had a complicated, messy strategy when it comes to communications apps. Erik Kay, engineering director at Google, introduces Allo and Duo on stage during the Google I/O 2016 developers conference in Mountain View, California May 18, 2016 Stephen Lam \| Reuters [Google](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/GOOGL/) plans to kill chat app Allo by the middle of next year, the company [said in a blog post](https://www.blog.google/products/messages/latest-messages-allo-duo-and-hangouts/), confirming a [report earlier on Wednesday about the product's imminent demise.](https://9to5google.com/2018/12/05/google-allo-shutting-down/) Despite owning the world's dominant smartphone operating system in Android, Google has never been able to create a chat experience to rival [Apple's](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/AAPL/) iMessage or [Facebook](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/META/)'s Messenger and WhatsApp. Allo, which launched two years ago to much fanfare, will only work until March 2019, at which point users will have to download any conversations they want to save. Meanwhile, Google will focus fully on the development of Messages, its other chat app for Android phones. Earlier this year, [Google announced](https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/19/17252486/google-android-messages-chat-rcs-anil-sabharwal-imessage-texting) that it was working with mobile carriers on a new Rich Communication Services (RCS) standard, an upgrade to classic SMS texting, to make messaging work better across Android devices, and bring users features like read receipts and seamless group chats. That initiative was the beginning of the end for Allo, which saw [its product lead defect to Facebook earlier this year](https://9to5google.com/2018/01/08/amit-fulay-head-of-allo-and-duo-for-google-departs-for-facebook/).
- E4Google phases out instant messaging app 'Allo'
Supporting quote
After pausing investments in its "Allo" mobile messaging app, Google has finally bid goodbye to the platform that was launched with much fanfare in 2016. A banner across the official Allo website confirmed that March 12 was its last day in operation, The Verge reported on Monday. "During our time together, we brought you a smarter way to chat, with features like the Google Assistant, 'Allo' for web and selfie stickers but now the app is signing off," the banner on Allo's page read. Last year in April, Anil Sabharwal, the head of the communications group at Google told the media that "Allo" as a product did not achieve the level of traction the company had hoped for. Even though the app's successor is not quite ready yet, Google has incorporated some of Allo's features like smart replies and desktop support into the Android Messaging app. "We're working to bring your favorite features to the Messages app so you can have richer conversations with all your friends. If you have an Android phone, we hope you'll try Messages!" the banner said. "Allo" was launched as an instant messaging mobile app for the Android and iOS mobile Operating Systems (OS), with a web client available on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera browsers. After Allo's exit, Google is going all in on Rich Communication Services (RCS) — the successor to SMS that's been a long time coming — to give Android a successful messaging app. "It's far from universal, but now that Google is focused on just a single messaging app, it has a better chance of gaining some momentum," The Verge said.
Sentiment
At launch
No launch coverage quote recorded.
At death
No death coverage quote recorded.
No sentiment quotes recorded.
Last updated · Phil · How we source entries
Changelog
- — Published Google Allo.