Google to launch a desktop version of Allo messenger

Google's Allo messenger will soon be easier to use at work, thanks to a new desktop version to complement the mobile app.

The company's VP of communications products, Nick Fox, tweeted out a sneak peek at the desktop app in development.

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The desktop version looks like it'll be a web app for Google Chrome. This means it won't be native as a separate Windows or Mac download, but will work across operating systems -- including on Chromebooks, of course.

Already competing against Line, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and others, Allo is billed as more than just another chat app. It's integrated with Google Assistant, allowing its AI bot to offer searches, translations and scheduling information within chats.

You can also chat directly with Assistant on Android devices to set alarms and search through photos.

The upcoming release of a desktop app will help Allo grow from its mobile roots to something potentially more useful for power users, or even workplaces. Google hasn't announced when the app will be available.

One of the world's biggest messengers, WhatsApp, struggled for years to come up with a desktop offering to compete with those already on the market. It released WhatsApp for the web in early 2015, before finally making a native app the following year.

[H/T The Verge]