Google on Tuesday launched its messaging app Allo, which will compete Facebook's Messenger and WhatsApp services. In a post on their official blog, Google said the “smart messaging app” has been made available on Google’s own Android handsets as well as Apple's iOS-based iPhone. The service was made available in India before it was rolled out in other countries. It is also enabled with a preview version of Google Assistant, the California-based company’s attempt at chat-bot (programs based on artificial intelligence designed to be intuitive of a user’s needs) technology.

The company said users of the app can access Assistant by simply typing “@google” in a chat window. It will help people use Google search through the app and bring up answers to questions. It will also bring up games people can play while messaging each other. The app also comes with a "Smart Reply" function, which will scan a message and present the recipient with what it thinks are appropriate responses. It also includes offerings similar to its rival services, such as emojis, stickers, Snapchat-like doodling and an end-to-end encryption option for chats.

Google has launched Allo a little over a month after releasing its video-calling service Duo. Duo topped the charts for free apps for Android on the Play Store. Both applications were first announced at the I/O developers conference in May, where the tech giant promised a global rollout in a few months. The company also develops and maintains a separate text and video-based messaging app, Hangouts, which it will focus on the enterprise sector.