Author Archives: Amit Fulay

Say olá and namaste to your Assistant in Google Allo

When we launched Google Allo earlier this year, we started with a preview of our smart features in English to help you say more and do more, right in your chats. Today, we’re adding support for Brazilian Portuguese and Hindi for the Google Assistant and Smart Reply, bringing these features to even more people.

The Google Assistant is ready to help in new languages

With Google Allo, you can get help from your Assistant without ever leaving the conversation. Sharing sports scores, recipes, or travel plans is now easy to do right in your chats with friends. People are getting help from their Assistant every day — one in every 12 messages in group chats are messages to the Google Assistant.

To start using the Assistant in Brazilian Portuguese and Hindi, just say “Talk to me in Hindi” or “Talk to me in Portuguese” when you’re chatting with your Assistant in Allo. You can also adjust the language setting on your device. So whether you’re chatting with friends about the latest cricket standing for the Mumbai Indians team, or looking into weather forecasts for your trip to the Barra da Tijuca beach, add @google to your chat and your Assistant is ready to help.

Hindi Assistant Allo

Say it rápido with Smart Reply

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We’ve found that Smart Reply in English has been helpful in sending quick responses while you’re chatting on the go — in fact, every day more than half of people on Allo use Smart Reply. We’re now adding support for Smart Reply in Brazilian Portuguese and Hindi, so you can quickly send a “muito bem!” in response to a friend asking “Como você está?”

Smart Reply will recognize the language you’re chatting in and begin to show suggested responses in that language. If you’re chatting in English, it will continue to show English responses. But if you start chatting in Hindi or Brazilian Portuguese, it will show you suggestions in that language. You can also adjust the language through your device settings.

Sticker packs with Brazilian edge

Lastly, we’ve added new local stickers for Brazil in Google Allo. Illustrator Daniel Semanas covers a typical day at the beach with "Mari by the Sea," while Florence Dagostini brings slang words to life with everyday objects in "There, I Said It." Additional stickers focus on Brazilian food, gamer culture, and city life.

Brazil new stickers

We’re beginning to roll out these new features in Hindi and Brazilian Portuguese for Google Allo on Android and iOS, and they will be available to all users in the next few days. We’ll continue to bring the Google Assistant and Smart Reply to more languages over time — for now they’re available in English, Hindi, Hinglish, German and Brazilian Portuguese.

Google Allo helps you find the perfect emoji or sticker

Whether you’re laughing or crying, hungry for a burger or ramen, or planning a night out or a night in, sometimes it’s just easier to say it with an emoji. Starting today, it’s going to be even simpler to find the perfect emojis and stickers in Google Allo. And for the first time, you’re going to be able to bring the magic of J.K. Rowling’s “Fantastic Beasts” right to your chats.

Smart Smiley helps you say ?

Sometimes you need a little help finding the right emoji. With so many out there, it’s no wonder that most of the time, we only use a handful (less than 3%!) of all emojis1. That’s why we’ve added a new feature to Google Allo to make it easier to find and send the perfect emoji or sticker. Just tap the Smart Smiley button as you’re typing a message, we’ll suggest relevant emojis and stickers to help you finish your thought. So if you’re planning dinner with a friend, you may see ?, ?, or ?. Or if you type “see you later” we’ll offer to complete that thought with ?.
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Suggestions for stickers and emojis will change based on the words you write and the sentiment of your message. And if you haven’t started typing, Smart Smiley offers suggestions based on your conversation so the perfect sticker is just one tap away. We’ve already been having fun with Smart Smiley on our team -- in fact, it’s increased the numbers of stickers we share by 30%!

“Fantastic Beasts” stickers

After testing your hand at magic, share your adventures with friends with stickers from the Warner Bros. film “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” now available in Google Allo. We’re bringing the pre-Harry Potter wizarding world directly into your chats with stickers inspired by the film.

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We’ve also added a new feature to help you discover new sticker packs. When a friend sends you a sticker from a pack you don’t have yet, you can tap on that sticker to quickly download the pack.

Fresh themes for your chats

To help you match your conversation to your mood, we’ve added background themes for your chats. Whether you’re feeling more “Watermelon” or “Sorbet,” choose from a range of backgrounds to compliment your style.
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Google Allo is available for download on Android and iOS. We are beginning to roll out these new features today, and they will be available worldwide over the next few days. Smart Smiley will be available in English to start with and will come to more languages over time.

(1) Source: Emojitracker, November 2016

“Stranger Things” are happening in Google Allo

Mind control. Demogorgons. Barb. This Halloween, there’s no question we’ll see people out in costume as characters from this summer’s addictive Netflix original series, “Stranger Things.” To help bring you back into the ‘80s supernatural mindset, we’re partnering with Netflix to bring the Upside Down right to your chats in Google Allo, our smart messaging app for Android and iOS.

A new “Stranger Things” sticker pack is now available for download in Google Allo, featuring exclusive artwork inspired by the show. So whether you’re researching how to create a DIY Eleven costume with friends or debating whether Barb will reappear in season two, we got you covered.

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These stickers aren’t the only new thing in Google Allo this week. You can now reply to messages directly from your notifications on Android and iOS. So if you’re cooking up a French Onion Barb, you don’t have to stop what you’re doing to reply back to friends.

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We’ve also added support for Android N so you can take advantage of its features. With split-screen mode you can now chat with friends and rewatch season one at the same time. App shortcuts help you quickly start a new conversation from the home screen. And for iOS users, we’ve brought the ability to doodle on your photos to iOS, so you can craft a masterpiece before sharing in Google Allo.

Beware the flickering lights, and have a safe and happy Halloween!

P.S. Google Allo will help you unlock your powers today in New York City. Stay tuned to Google on Twitter for a hint on where the drop-off from Hawkins National Laboratories will take place.