Yahoo has introduced a new app called Livetext, which is described by the company as “live video texting” – a combination of self-facing live video and chat.
Each Livetext starts as a live stream similar to Periscope, which is then overlaid with text messages typed by the user in real time, The Verge reported.
“We want to create the emotional connection. We want to make sure you can get into a conversation as quickly as possible,” Yahoo Product Manager Arjun Seti said.
Each Livetext is one-to-one and does not begin until both parties agree to open the channel, cutting down the potential for spam or abuse.
The new app is a combination of sorts of traditional texting and more media-rich platforms like Snapchat and Beme. But while the latter works with both video and audio, Livetext is completely muted, communicating only through silent video and text.
Yahoo hopes the new platform will foster a sense of intimacy among users.
The app deletes all chats and video as soon it is closed.
Livetext is Yahoo’s first move back into messaging in recent years, after effectively abandoning the once-popular Yahoo Messenger.
Messenger apps like WhatsApp and WeChat have gained immense popularity in recent years.