Google Allo is the search giant’s answer to WhatsApp, they are both instant messaging apps that run on all popular platforms. Allo is still very new and they have been playing catch up with other established chatting apps. WhatsApp on the other hand has been very bare bones in terms of features and only until recently that they have been catching up as well.
The latest upcoming Google Allo features include the ability to react to individual messages. If you in a group chat and someone posts something that appeals to you, you can show it by ‘hearting’ that message. It is similar to the way you can like posts on Facebook. At the moment, you can only use a ‘love heart’ symbol but we hope in future they can introduce more reactions, same way Facebook does.
We all know there’s always that annoying person in every WhatsApp group who keeps posting inappropriate/ irrelevant texts, it would be amazing to show them exactly how you feel with a simple reaction icon.
The second feature is a web client of Google Allo. This one has been tagged as coming ‘in a few weeks’. We have all used Google products on the web from Gmail, to Google Search, to Keep and Drive. These are all amazing products with great and accessible online versions. On the other hand, if you have tried using WhatsApp Web version, you will agree with me that, it’s a pain. You have to scan a code on your browser, then (and this is the most annoying part), you have to turn on the data on the phone which has WhatsApp installed in order to access the service on a desktop/laptop browser. I mean, the whole point of having a web version is to act as a substitute when you cannot access the service on your phone (e.g when battery is dead/ in a place where phone usage might be seen as rude, such as meeting), WhatsApp’s implementation beats this whole purpose.
So if anyone from WhatsApp is reading this, please do us this favor and bring these two features to your chat app. After all, getting “inspiration” (Snapchat) from other apps is not a new concept to Facebook and Co.
