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Google: I don't know why you say Allo, I say goodbye

Sidelined messaging app given end-of-life date of March 2019

It's decluttering time at Google again, and the Chocolate Factory has decided to chuck its Allo messaging client into the skip.

For some time, Google has been working to get the 3GPP's Rich Communication Services onto OEM devices and into consumers' hands, and that has left the Allo smart messaging app as something of an orphan.

As Google airily stated: "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," the death-note added.

We noted in February that Allo was seen by departing software engineer Steve Yegge as little more than a WhatsApp knock-off.

Pamela Clark-Dickson, practice leader for communications and social at Ovum, told El Reg: "Google's messaging strategy has been fragmented – it hasn't gone well with any of its apps."

Ever since Google paused Allo development earlier this year, she said, the app's demise was on the cards.

Android Messenger has bagged the former Allo developer resources, and Google's adoption of the RCS profile has resulted in telcos asking OEMs to include it in handsets. The Google-3GPP-telco partnership has, Clark-Dickson added, helped carry Android Messenger to 175 million users, and a Consumer Insights study Ovum conducted earlier this year found consumers are starting to recognise the app by name.

Allo users have until March 2019 to save whatever they want to save (instructions for downloading conversation histories are here). ®

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