This app is like texting meets Snapchat

Just when you thought there was no way for texting to get any cooler, Yahoo comes out with Livetext, a messaging services that combines video and messaging to create a whole new type of online communication.

It’s not hard to see where Yahoo got their inspiration for this service. It looks a lot like Snapchat, with the large text and fun emojis, but it also takes a leaf out of Periscope’s book with live video. Add a little bit of FaceTime, and you’ve got this new app that was just released in the U.S. today. The one unexpected part of all this? There’s no sound.

That’s right, just silent video and text, with messages filling up the screen iMessage style, so you can see your whole back-and-forth on top of the live video. This means it’s super easy to use even if you’re in the middle of doing something else. If you’re having trouble picturing such a crazy invention, you can see it in action below:

Or take a look at this video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-3Mw4Ilvl4

Livetext has a few drawbacks compared to its predecessors. For instance, a user can only video one-on-one, so doesn’t necessarily work in a celebrity-chat or business setting, but it’s perfect for catching up with your friend on a rainy afternoon. You also can’t save your chat or video. Much like the earlier versions of Snapchat, before you could replay and save photos, the text and video is gone as soon as you stop using it.

These things weirdly make it seem kind of retro, right? It’s a brand new kind of technology, but it appeals to a more old fashioned sense of using technology to communicate rather than to share. And Livetext isn’t trying to be anything else. When asked about the similar apps that are out there, a Yahoo spokesperson told Mashable that they didn’t actually want it to be competing with those other apps. It’s supposed to be just what it is: a new way to send the poop emoji to your friends. If you ask me, that’s pretty important.

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