Messaging has come quite a long way in the last ten years. Not only has it become the main form of communication when using phones for most people, there are tons of choices when picking the messaging app which works best for you. There are even more than a few really great options, including choices from big players like Google and Facebook. Now Yahoo has thrown their hand in the mix with the recently released Livetext app, although Yahoo is taking a slightly different approach to what they offer compared to others like Hangouts or Whatsapp, which just might intrigue a few users.
The idea behind Livetext is to put the work of text messaging behind us by allowing users to engage with others via messaging but with the added element of video without audio. This way when you say something in a message the video shows your true expressions so there’s no miscommunications or misunderstanding. Yahoo wanted to blend together video and text messaging to give users the “immediacy , simplicity and ease of texting with the expressiveness of video” which pretty much says it all about what they were trying to accomplish. They want users to create more memorable experiences and they think Livetext will be able to provide that.
With Yahoo’s announcement today Livetext is officially available to download and install in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Germany, and France, alongside Hong Kong, Ireland, and Taiwan where Yahoo was already testing the application. To many, Livetext will be just another video chat app and they wouldn’t technically be wrong, but video chat isn’t always an option. On the flipside text doesn’t always convey the correct emotions, so Livetext gives users the best of both worlds through the creation of a unique type of messaging. The app is free to use and Yahoo states it will always be free, and it works on both WiFi and cell connections so as long as there’s data you can always have a conversation. You can enter chats using the Livetext ID of your friends, or by grabbing them from your contacts, but those who you wish to chat with will also have to use Livetext.