View video responses in real time as you text; but you’ll need to hold your breath until the app is more broadly available
Once the mainstay of messaging--and this was back in the day in the late 90’s--Yahoo Messenger was the de facto desktop tool for staying in touch over Web-connected computers. That typical skyscraper app listing on the right of your desktop was a great way for stay in touch, connect with people over chat rooms and the like.
The landscape of course has changed massively since, with the smartphone becoming the communication device of choice, and social apps ruling the roost. Messenger apps of the likes of Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, Skype and Facetime have given users everything they need to connect over text, voice and even real-time video.
In what appears to be a bid to add something new to this game, Yahoo’s new messenger, called ‘Yahoo Livetext - Video Messenger’, combines the familiarity of text messaging with short, muted video clips. As first reported by TechCrunch, the app doesn’t do live video chat, instead it enables users to record and send short video clips of themselves as they type. These video clips could typically be video selfies, reactions and the like. They idea, they surmise, is to offer a more natural form of communication where users can view the other person’s facial responses in real time over the course of the conversation.
This app appears to be the culmination of a series of acquisitions Yahoo went through last year, including services like MessageMe, along with poaching people from messaging products like Kicksend.
It is interesting to note that Yahoo isn’t simply launching another me-too messaging app incorporating the usual text/audio/video channels, but are attempting to differentiate this app with a feature twist. The fact that video texts are sent in real time but without sound would make it especially appealing to younger users--their core audience, naturally--who would be most likely to use the app during class or in environments where making a sound is discouraged. The silent video approach is also reminiscent of animated GIFs, that staple of bite-sized entertainment that is ever popular in social media feeds.
It isn’t clear whether the app will or won’t support live video or real-time voice in future, but for the moment it will be interesting to see where this app will go. For now it is only available on the Hong Kong iTunes App Store; Yahoo is presumably testing the waters before a wider, more formal launch.
If you can use another messaging app in your life, here’s something that might be worth considering. Stay tuned as we bring you updated information.
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