Google is getting rid of its Allo messaging app for good

Google’s long-abandoned messaging app — Allo — is being shut down according to a report from 9to5Google  The firm earlier paused development in Allo due to a lack of uptake by users. Despite being a generally competent messaging app, Allo had nothing to draw users to it initially — and Google had no strategy to compensate this.

Google decided to refocus its efforts into investing in RCS – a carrier supported messaging system that can be used on every device which supports SMS.

Meanwhile, on the instant messaging side, the firm currently has Allo and Hangouts.  These products will be changing direction. Hangouts — as Google has already shared — will be split into two products  Hangouts What and Hangouts Meet. The former will take care of messaging; the latter will cover video conferencing scenarios. Now, Chat and Meet are already available for enterprise users, but Google is working on getting them ready for consumers too sometime in 2019.

It’s not precisely clear why another messaging app is needed just for its own sake. If Google can build an app that works enough to lure users away from their entrenched bases, then that is to be lauded. Otherwise, there is little need for companies to reinvent the wheel just to put their stamp on it. As Google has found out, consumers aren’t that interested.

Source: 9to5 Google