Google's messaging app Allo just got an upgrade—an emoji upgrade, that is. The messaging app will let users turn their selfies into emoji stickers, according to Fast Company.
Google debuted Allo in 2016, throwing its hat into the already competitive messaging wars ring. Amid many tech companies, there's been an all out battle to grab users for messaging apps, which include Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat, and WhatsApp. As part of this battle, these companies have been in a race to launch new features that might attract more users.
While the functionality of generating stickers out of selfies is not new and has already been available on Bitmoji for enough time, Google's version uses a combination of neural networks and the work of artists, which have partnered with the company. In simple terms, Google Allo will employ machine learning to map selfies to produce the colour, structure, and animations for the stickers. These stickers can be further customised as per the user's preference.
In Allo, users will see be able to tap a button to turn a selfie into a sticker. After tapping the button, the app will ask the user to take a selfie and then the app will analyze his or her face, morphing the portrait into a custom emoji. The illustrations that result have been designed by artist Lamar Abrams, who was the designer for the Cartoon Network series Steven Universe.Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, launched a similar feature recently. The photo and video sharing app now lets users can now create a selfie sticker—which is a digital sticker of a camera selfie—that users can pin to photos or videos.
Google's Expressions Creative Director for Allo, Jennifer Daniel explains, "To create an illustration of you that captures the qualities that would make it recognizable to your friends, we worked alongside an artistic team to create illustrations that represented a wide variety of features. Artists initially designed a set of hairstyles, for example, that they thought would be representative, and with the help of human raters we used these hairstyles to train the network to match the right illustration to the right selfie."
Keeping in mind the perspective of gender neutrality, inclusion of all races and colour, Google Allo creates stickers and emojis belonging to people of all races, gender and colour. In an interview with Fast Company, Jason Cornwell, who leads UX department for Google's communication projects, noted that the creation of emojis and stickers do not become an end goal instead it is a part of an effort that is aimed "to let someone create something that feels like themselves, to themselves.
Google is focusing more on representing a particular side or theme of people than actual reality, and the first set of stickers apparently "speaks to your sarcastic side." Future sets could potentially be used during more sincere moments, or turn you into a dog. Additionally, should you find fault with the stickers that are generated for you, you can further customize them.
This feature has begun rolling out for Android users, and the iOS app should get it soon. Sticker away!
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