Google wants your help in making Allo a better app

You probably still remember Allo right? That new smart messaging app from Google? Yes, it was supposed to supersede Hangouts and become Android's answer to iMessage. Such hopes. Turned out, it couldn't even compete with lesser known apps like Viber or WeChat let alone Whatsapp. Allo was as simple a messenger as it could have been, and not in a good Whatsapp like way. It was bare bones except for the integrated Google Assistant which was fun, initially.

Like its sibling Duo, unsurprisingly it slipped into the void that contains most of the apps on Android that nobody cares about. If you were or are a fan of Allo, I can understand, I still have it too even though it just sits there on my screen in a folder never to be seen. I wanted it to work, I am still hopeful, but, eh.

For a company that has so much data and information about people and their likes and dislikes, Google seems to be clueless when it comes to knowing what people want in a messaging app. At this point I feel like there's a better chance of Apple porting iMessage to Android than Google getting it right with messaging.

For the optimists among us though, all hope is not lost. Google has been trying to revive Allo, and they're now ready to listen to your ideas on how you would fix Allo and bring it back from the dead. If you are based in or around London, Seattle, San Francisco, New Delhi, or São Paulo, Google plans on holding some ‘User Research Studies’ at its local offices to talk about the Allo app. This list of eligible places could expand in the future but for now, this is it.

During the studies you may have access to some kind of a prototype version of the app for testing purposes with a new feature but that's not a guarantee. Sounds cool though right? If you are interested and live in or near the aforementioned cities, you can sign up for the study by clicking the source link below to provide your details and answer a short survey.

Source : Google (1)

Kailash Sadhikar

An engineering undergrad student who loves all things tech. He has a soft spot for Android.