Losing Out to Facebook and Snapchat, Google Tries to Clean Up Messaging

Google is going to phase out its messaging app Allo at the end of March and move any existing users to Messages, its new default Android SMS and chat app, the company announced this week. The move comes as Google is finding itself struggling to keep up with competitors like Facebook, Snapchat, Line and others.Allo was first announced some 2.5 years go in conjunction with Google’s video chat app Duo. Allo was supposed to be a modern take on text chat, incorporating smart replies, stickers and the Google Assistant, allowing users to effectively chat with Google itself.However, the app had plenty of competition not only from outsiders, but also from within the company. The search giant continued to support its Hangouts text chat app, and was also separately developing an Android SMS messenger app that ultimately turned into Messages. As a result, Allo was widely ignored by consumers, leading to Google effectively pausing development earlier this year.