Allo, Google’s chat app, gets some flak online a lot of the time. Rightly so. However, today is that day when we cut it some slack and focus on an awesome small feature it is getting: the ability to create simple Yes/No polls in conversations.
According to Amit Fulay, the head of Allo and Duo, Google’s video calling app, at Google, who took to Twitter to announce the new feature, polls have been live for the last few hours for all users who have Allo installed since it is a server-side update and users need not head to the Play Store for an update.
Here’s how to easily create your first poll on Allo assuming you have anyone to chat with at all:
- Type @yesno to call up the Allo polls bot
- Key in your poll query
- You’re done. Await responses from whoever you’re chatting with
The feature comes in handy in group settings where quick feedback on a matter may be needed.
@yesno bot becomes the second bot to grace Allo. The first one was the @lucky bot which simplifies the whole process of spicing up our conversations with GIFs.
I noticed that creating a new poll results in the bot asking you if it can close the previous poll since it doesn’t, yet, allow two or more polls to run parallel to each other.
Maybe we will be able to get custom answers instead of simple Yes/No responses in the future? For instance, I’d want to give a much more detailed response as to why I hate njahi with all my heart, all my soul and my entire being. That can never be channelled in a simple No response.