Google launches WhatsApp competitor Allo – with Google Assistant

Google's play for the future of chatbots and search includes smart replies, drawing on images, stickers and group chat

Google has launched its latest mobile chat app, Allo, and with it Google Assistant - a chatbot that can be used in online conversations with friends.

The messaging app, which is available for Android and the iPhone, has similar features to most other messaging clients: stickers, emoji, the ability to draw on images like Snapchat and the choice of group or one-on-one chats. Messages are not encrypted end-to-end by default - unlike on WhatsApp, which it will compete with - but can be switched to an incognito mode to do so and set how long they exist before they're deleted.