Google Allo 9.0 APK teardown reveals chat backups, group incognito chats and more

Allo has become a great communication alternative thanks to Assistant support, smart replies, fun sticker packs, whisper/shout options and plenty of other great features. Google is far from being done with this project, though. They continue improving Allo and have been known to leave evidence of upcoming features in the code… which we certainly enjoy.

Google Allo 9.0 recently hit the Google Play Store, and with it came an APK teardown from the guys over at 9to5Google. They have discovered traces what could be upcoming inclusions to the app. Some we have heard about already, but there is also some new stuff you will be interested in.

Conversation back-ups

Google Allo’s main competitor is WhatsApp, and there is one thing those guys seem to be doing very well – backing up chat threads. Allo’s 9.0 version shows code strings with evidence that there will be said feature possibly being enabled in the near future, and you will probably have the option to choose where the conversations go.

One will be able to opt between storing chats in the cloud, using Google Drive. Alternatively, those who prefer local storage can also go for putting these conversations in external storage. Furthermore, another string suggests the service will be able to restore images, video and other media, which can be done in the background.

It seems the app will force users to backup and restore content over WiFi by default, but this can be disabled. If this is the case, the user will simply receive a warning.

More Quick Selfie goodness

This is one of the features we have already reported on, but more evidence is always good. It’s also convenient that the new code string gives us a tiny bit of insight as to how the feature will work. Don’t get too excited just yet, though. All we know is there will be a direct button for activating the Quick Selfie mode, as well as the live preview.

Group Incognito chats

A new string serves as evidence of an option that will allow users to “start a group incognito chat”. This feature is great for those who want to hold a conversation that won’t stick around in the phone for long. Bringing the same capability to group chats only makes sense, right?

Make stickers out of selfies!

Ever wanted to make your own stickers? It’s no easy task (especially if you want to be the subject), but Google will be making it a possibility soon. 9to5Google found code including a message that says the following: “Take a selfie and we’ll automagically generate a sticker pack in your likeness. For best results, keep a neutral expression”.

Keep in mind these lines of code were found in the APK file back when the app was released, only to be quickly removed afterwards. The fact that the strings have returned further validate the rumored feature.

Wrapping up

As we mentioned before, none of these features are actually working yet, but they probably will in the near future. The code is there for a reason, right? Which of these capabilities are you most excited for?