The previous update of Allo released the feature with which one could create personalized stickers from selfies. Allo 11, the chat app’s latest update, brings along additional features such as improvements to groups chats, as well as future support for sending messages via Google Now or Google Assistant.
Before this update, Allo users could only add people to group chats by manually selecting their names from the contact list. With the current update, you can either generate a QR code that your friends can scan or simply share a link with them. Both of the processes are quite simple and easy to navigate.
To get the link for the group chat you have created, click on the icon of the group chat and select the option ‘Add People’. This will show you a button that allows you to share an invite link. You could also reset this link if the one you shared earlier has been made public — and you don’t spammers to join your group.
To generate the QR code, on the other hand, you’ll need to tap the group icon and click ‘Group details’. You must the select ‘Add with QR code’. This generates a QR code that your friends can scan by opening their Allo side menu and clicking ‘QR scanner’. Unlike the QR scanner of other apps like Snapchat and Twitter, Allo does not have the option to scan saved images.
The second important feature of this Allo update is the addition of support for Google Assistant and Google Now. While both Google Assistant/Now, as well as Hangouts, allow you to send text messages by using your voice, this function has not been available to use with Allo. Previous attempts at this often generated a response that says, “I can’t send Allo messages” from Assistant.
While the changelog on Google Play Store for the update states that you can now send messages using Google Now/Assistant, this feature does not seem to have gone live yet, and will probably start working once a server-side change is made.
