Google might launch smart messaging app Allo this week

Google might release its smart messaging app Allo in the coming days.

Allo will be released later this year, along with the Duo application for video calls, Google engineering director Erik Kay had said at the Internet giant’s annual developers' conference in May.

Allo only requires one's phone number for identification purposes. According to expert tipster Evan Blas, it will release on September 21 in line with Google’s expected end of summer release date.

9/21. https://t.co/8Ne6gj0NJS

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 19, 2016

Allo’s AI-powered features uses machine learning to suggest appropriate responses to both text and graphic messages, cutting down on your typing.

Allo virtual assistants “understand your world” in ways that allow people to ask questions or give directives the same way one might speak with an aide, according to Kay. So if someone asks if you’re up to party on a Friday night, it’ll let you reply, “I’m in,” just by tapping the prompt.

“It learns, over time, to make conversations easier, more expressive and more productive,” Kay said.

Features built into Allo include “Whisper and Shout” that enables users make message contents larger or smaller with a swipe along with others such as encrypted end-to-end for privacy and security.



Allo will also support Google Assistant, that acts as a friendly Google search bot. The difference is that it can pepper messages with things like search results for restaurants when you’re talking about getting dinner.

Given that rivals like WhatsApp and Messenger have already amassed massive user bases; it remains to be seen whether Allo stands a chance at becoming a popular messaging tool.

This article originally appeared on The Next Web.