Google is finally releasing its long-awaited messaging app: Allo.Â
Originally announced at its developers conference in May, Allo is billed as a "smart" messaging app. That's because of its built-in Google Assistant, an artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant that can do everything from recommend nearby restaurants to answering questions you have.Â
Because this is a messaging app, the Google Assistant can be easily summoned to join the group conversations you're having friends, acting as an on-hand expert to provide advice and to resolve disputes. Â
Allo is designed to be a counterpart to Duo, Google's video chat app that launched in mid-August.Â
Business Insider got the chance to try Allo for ourselves and test out its features ahead of the launch. Here's what it's like to use it:
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When you open the app, your conversations will appear in a list. Users can upload a photo of themselves, but otherwise, user profiles are kept pretty simple.
You can open up a conversation with the Google Assistant itself. Google tried to make the Assistant helpful and lighthearted - as you can see, it uses a lot of emoji.
The Assistant responds to simple phrases and requests, like finding nearby restaurants.
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