Yahoo Launches New Messaging App to Compete With WhatsApp and Snapchat

Having decided to refocus its brand on mobile and video after losing ground in the search engine market, Yahoo unveiled its new messing app, Livetext, on Wednesday. The tech giant hopes it will prove a worthy rival to WhatsApp, Snapchat and others.

Livetext features peer-to-peer text, emoticons and videos, but without audio, making it perfect for communicating with friends who have loud or annoying voices. It’s available now for iOS and Android devices in the U.S., U.K,, Canada, France and Germany.

“We wanted to create a new way to communicate, blending the simplicity of texting with the emotion and immediacy of live video, to make your experience spontaneous and real,” Yahoo’s Adam Cahan said at Livetext’s media launch event in New York City.

So if Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook messenger, Google hangouts, GroupMe, Facetime, iMessage, Skype, Blackberry messenger (yes, it’s back), texting and phone calls aren’t for you, there’s no better time to give Livetext a whirl.

[BBC]