Yahoo’s Audio-Free Video Messaging App Livetext Is Now Available Worldwide

If you were intrigued by Livetext, the audio-free video messaging app launched by Yahoo last month, but don’t live in the U.S. or the handful of test markets where it was available, then we have news for you. The app is now live worldwide, which means anyone with an iOS and Android device can get hold of it.

The days when mobile messaging was an under-catered sector are long gone, we at TechCrunch get a steady stream of pitches from people behind new messaging apps on a daily basis, but, to give Yahoo some credit, the app does offer something different to the biggest players in the chat app space. That’s because while you can beam video to your friends, it is entirely silent.

Why on earth would you want to do that? Well, Arjun Sethi — Yahoo’s Senior Director of Product Management, who joined The Big Y when it acquired his startup MessageMe —  thinks it makes communicating more simple and less stressful. Gone are the concerns about background noise or other chores. Yahoo believes the Livetext experience is akin to text messaging but with emotion.

Personally, I’m a little more skeptical of whether the app can last — it’s a seriously late arrival in a space where the dominant forces have racked up huge userbases — but, if the promise of a slightly different experience ticks a box for you, you’re now free to give Livetext a spin regardless of where live. (Here’s the iOS download link — the Android app is here.)