Yahoo unveiled a live video texting app Wednesday that could boost the company’s mobile presence and help it compete against Apple and Facebook.
Yahoo Livetext allows users to connect by streaming video one-on-one like Apple’s FaceTime or Facebook’s Video Chat. But instead of using audio, the app has a text feature that appears on top of the live video.
The company said the new service targets hardcore users of mobile devices by lifting barriers to faster communication.
“While texting is quick and easy, you often miss the meaning of a message, have to explain your reaction ('LOL'), or wait hours before getting a response,” Arjun Sethi, Yahoo’s senior director for product management, wrote in a blog post Wednesday.