Android Nougat may have Google’s upcoming Allo as the default messaging app

When Google announced their Allo messaging app at their I/O event last month, it generated a fair bit of buzz with its seemingly new and intuitive AI baked right in. Allo, powered by their Google Assistant, which was also announced at the event, is the new messaging app that features context awareness along with the added ability to deliver all manner of information right inside its messaging window. In the demos showcased during the unveiling, it was shown to help with everything from making restaurant bookings to finding directions to even serving up information on things around the user with full contextual awareness.

And if this Reddit post is to be believed, it just may be that Allo might also wind up supporting SMS and Google Voice, effectively completing the messaging and communication package so to say. The Reddit user who leaked this information, LTNGNX (who also claims to be a third level Google beta tester,) went on to postulate that Allo will be associated with only one device to start, after which it maybe possible to run it on multiple devices--for example on a phone and a tablet owned owned by the same user.

The post also goes on to assure that Google Hangouts will still be around, though it isn’t clear in what format the current app will continue to prevail.

The user goes on to say that Allo and Duo are slated to be direct competition to Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime, which isn’t too much of a stretch given the similarities in features and offerings.