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Allo, Google’s consumer-facing messaging solution, has been an exercise in patience for most users who have adopted it over the past couple years. Yeah, Google announced their latest messaging platform almost 2 years ago at I/O, and it has continued to iterate and fix it as time has gone on.
We’ve talked quite a bit around here about some of the bigger shortcomings of Allo, and one of the main problems was somewhat mitigated when Google finally gave us a web-based client.
The problem, again, is the need for a phone and phone number to use the service, even with the web version. Sure, most people have a phone number, but that isn’t the most functional way to run a messaging platform that you want people to adopt en masse.
Thanks to a tweet from Principal Engineer Justin Uberti, we now know that the incoming ability to tie Allo to your Google account will finally allow the web-based application to cut its tether to your phone.
Yes, we are in the process of migrating the backend system to support completely independent devices.
— Justin Uberti (@juberti) March 8, 2018
In all honesty, this function hasn’t bothered me too much, but I know there are many of you who have been quite frustrated for some time.
Justin’s earlier tweets about the web version of Allo all came to fruition, so I see no reason not to trust that along with the linking of our Google accounts to Allo, we’ll also be able to ditch the need for the phone to be nearby when using the service.
Sure, these things probably should have been done out of the gate, but Google is notorious for launching Beta product on its users. Allo is not an exception, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t grown into a fine messaging platform. Here’s hoping that as the chains come off, more people finally get to see that.
