Image credit – Android Police
Last week it was reported that Google was working on a way to bring smart reply features to other chat apps, not just Inbox or Gmail or Allo, but also chat apps that weren’t made by Google, such as WhatsApp. The good news is that if this sounded like a great idea, you’ll be pleased to learn that the app is now available for download.
Note that the app has not been officially released to the masses, and at this point in time it is available as an APK download. This means that it is only available to Android users, and users will need to know how to sideload the app if they haven’t done it before. If you’re not familiar with sideloading, then perhaps doing some research before proceeding is a good idea.
Also since the app isn’t official yet, there could be some changes made to it before it is officially released to the masses (if at all). So far it seems that the app will work with most messenger apps that allow users to reply in the notifications. As you can see in the screenshot above, replying in the notification with the app enabled will give users the option of sending back smart replies based on the context of the message.
This should save users a bit of time when it comes to more generic kind of topics, like trying to organize a lunch/dinner, a meeting, and so on. No word on when the closed beta is expected to end and the app be released, but like we said the APK has been posted online and could be worth checking out if you’re interested.