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Today's the day we say goodbye to Google Allo, so save your messages while you still can

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By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: Mar 12, 2019, 4:16 AM

Today's the day we say goodbye to Google Allo, so save your messages while you still can

Alongside a robust competitor for the likes of Alexa and Siri, Google launched two communication apps with pretty great fanfare back in 2016. But while Google Assistant quickly became one of the search giant's most successful ever products and the Duo video chat app didn't take very long to achieve a decent level of popularity as well, Allo could never really take off.

Unsurprisingly, after announcing its somewhat convoluted plans to shut down the consumer version of Hangouts and encourage users to adopt new messaging platforms, Google finally decided to put Allo out of its misery. The IM app will be brought to a straightforward end today, which means you only have a few more hours left to export and save any conversations from Allo you might be particularly fond of.

In order to do that, you'll have to open Allo on your Android device, access the Settings menu, tap Chat, and choose whether you want to "export messages from chats" or "export stored media from chats." The latter option will allow you to save photos, videos, and "other files" on your phone in a compressed zip file, while text messages will be stored in the CSV format. Google doesn't seem to be offering specific instructions for how to do this on iPhones, but then again, the app only has a few thousand iOS App Store ratings, so there probably aren't many users looking to back up their data.

Compared to Duo, which has been downloaded more than a billion times from the Play Store, Google Allo also gained super-modest traction on Android, with only 10 million+ installs.

Of course, just because this particular instant messaging app is kicking the bucket, it doesn't mean Google is throwing in the towel altogether. Some of the best things about Allo, including GIF support and the Smart Reply feature, have already been transferred to Messages. Android's native messaging app was used by over 175 million people at last count, aiming to upgrade the traditional SMS experience with RCS (Rich Communication Services) technology supporting things like group chat, file transfers, location sharing, and much, much more.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.

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