Google Allo stirred mixed reactions and some privacy concerns, but it already racked up more than 1 million Google Play downloads in less than a week on the market.
Allo is Google's latest messaging app and it has some neat tricks up its sleeve, which apparently attracted quite an impressive number of downloads. The app's Play Store page now shows that Google Allo already saw between 1 and 5 million installs, albeit a more exact figure is not available. The app also climbed to the top of the free apps chart.
The success may not be as whopping as that of Google Duo, the company's other messaging app launched recently, which hit 5 million installs in just 10 days of release. Google Duo quickly trumped even Facebook Messenger and Pokémon GO back in August, when it climbed to the top as the most downloaded app.
Google Allo is not there just yet, but more than 1 million installs in less than a week is nevertheless impressive, especially considering the controversy it stirred. Allo collects quite a lot of info from its users and raised some privacy concerns, with NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden strongly advising users to steer clear from Allo unless they want a messaging app with Google surveillance on the side.
"Free for download today: Google Mail, Google Maps, and Google Surveillance. That's #Allo. Don't use Allo," Snowden warned.
Despite the privacy concerns, it's not hard to see why Google Allo saw plenty of downloads. The messaging app integrates Google Assistant, or at least an early preview version of it, and offers a smarter and more convenient way of interacting with Google.
The AI-powered Google Allo has a number of powerful features that aim to change the way people communicate and offer assistance when needed. Considering that there is no shortage of available messaging apps, however, it remains to be seen whether Google Allo will be able to climb to the top and be a Facebook or Snapchat killer.
Most mobile users are already communicating via various messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Viber, iMessage and more, so Google Allo has some tough competition.
If you're curious about how Google's latest app stacks up against rivals, check out our thorough comparison of Google Allo vs. Facebook Messenger vs. iMessage.
Did you try out Google Allo yet, or are you concerned about its massive data collection? Drop by our comment section below and tell us what you think of Allo so far.
