Google updates Allo app to support Android Auto

Google hasn’t had amazing success with Allo, the company’s own messaging app that released in September 2016. The app has been plagued by dwindling interest since the initial hype of its release wore off, mostly attributed to a lack of features such as lack of SMS support or a desktop client. Google is now trying to pack more features in in recent days, and the latest new functionality is integration with Android Auto.

With new update, Allo notifications will be shown on the screen and read out loud, which significantly helps drivers send messages on the go. Users will also be able to dictate messages to reply with or automatically send a pre-written response. Also, Google also added minor cosmetic features such as animated emoji.

Just a few days ago, Google released a flurry of updates to Allo with improved GIF and emoji support as well as access to Google Assistant, but it seems unlikely that many users of other messaging apps such as iMessage, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger will be swayed by the new changes.

Allo was intended to be a consumer messaging system to follow up on the success of Google Hangouts, the cross-platform messaging app that Google wanted to shift towards more commercial use. Despite Google’s diversity of messaging platforms, breaking into market is proving to be a significant challenge.

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