Messaging

Emojli is an emoji-only network that could be the next Yo

As if there weren't already enough ways to communicate with others, this month has now been witness to two different outside of the box messaging platforms. The first was a quirky new app called Yo that took the App Store by storm earlier this month with over one million users in just days. The two-character app is a simple and efficient messaging tool that solely consists of sending and receiving notifications that say Yo.

Emojli is the second, an emoji-only network looking to replicate the success of Yo from a few weeks ago. Forget text messages, hashtags, spam and trolls, and communicate solely with emojis. Emojli is now accepting username reservations on its website, which are also entirely in emoji. While the app seems like satire, its creators Matt Gray and Tom Scott claim it will be launching on iOS soon and other platforms later… 

Two-character messaging app Yo breaks past one million users

Yo, that stupendously simple viral messaging app which lets people exchange ultra-short two-character "Yo" messages, now has over a million users.

The free of charge app, born out of an April Fool's Day joke and released just four days ago as a single-tap zero character communication tool for the iPhone, immediately got featured on the App Store's Top Free charts and is currently sitting at the ninth place...

Path jumps on the private messaging bus, releases new Talk for iPhone app

Path, the private social network for families and close friends, is jumping on the messaging bandwagon with launch of a new privacy-focused, standalone messaging software for the iPhone.

Available free in the App Store, Path Talk is basically a spin-off of Path's in-app messenger. For starters, your message exchanges get automatically wiped out from the servers after 24 hours.

And, Path Talk has a nice Ambient Status feature that automatically lets your friends know when you’re in transit, in the neighborhood and even low on battery, possibly helping reduce some misunderstandings in online communication...

Yo hack compromises your phone contacts, but fix is underway

Yesterday, I told you about Yo, a ridiculous new messaging app which lets people exchange two-character "Yo" messages. Some like Stephen Colbert have eviscerated Yo for being utterly useless and plain dumb while others point out the fact that it's received more than $1 million in VC-backed funding as a proof that the mobile messaging space is booming with innovation.

Be that as it may, turns out the controversial software poses something of a security risk as a pair of college students have found a vulnerability allowing them to compromise any Yo user’s phone number, spam them with unsolicited messages and more.

Yo founder Or Arbel has confirmed that the app was “having security issues” and has promised to deliver a fix “in next few hours”...

Skype 5.1 for iPhone delivers enhancements to People, Favorites and Conversations

Precisely a week after releasing the remastered Skype 5.0 for iPhone featuring a Windows Phone-like interface, the Microsoft-owned company has released the first update containing a few messaging enhancements customers have been asking for.

In a bid to close the gap between desktop and mobile, the free Skype 5.1 for iPhone update brings out new options to manage your favorites.

The app now allows you to filter the People list with new "Skype" and "Online" filters, with filter settings saved across mobile and desktop Skype apps. Other improvements to conversations and favorites are also included in this nice little update...

Yo app takes quick messaging to the extreme

There's a new messaging app in town and it's unlike anything you've ever tried. It's lightweight and efficient, doesn't require you to provide a screen name, won't ask for your cell phone number nor will it pester you with ads - and boy is its Home screen icon unique.

It's called Yo. (with the full-stop) and could easily be the simplest and most efficient communication tool in the world, with an insane twist on the mobile messaging concept...

Snapchat rolls out new Our Story feature

Facebook has just rolled out its would-be Snapchat killer, but Snapchat is unfazed. In fact, after introducing a photo sharing feature called My Story earlier in the year, today the startup rolled out a similarly conceived Our Story feature for groups of people.

In a nutshell, Our Story uses your location to allow fellow Snapchatters who are at the same event location to contribute snaps to the same Story.

Whereas Our Story is for communal snap at events, My Story is still available when you and only you want to add multiple images to a single album, without other people contributing to it...

Facebook launches Slingshot, its would-be Snapchat killer

The social networking giant Facebook could be poised to take a significant chunk of the ephemeral messaging market with the formal release of Slingshot, its new and long-rumored iPhone application that just surfaced on the App Store after briefly appearing yesterday.

The free download offers features you'd normally associate with Snapchat, which has popularized the trend of so-called disappear apps where message and media exchanges between participants get automatically deleted after a predetermined period of time...

Facebook Messenger updated with Instant Video Sending and Big Likes

Facebook has posted an update for its iOS Messenger client this morning, bringing the app to version 6.0. The release includes the usual bug fixes and improvements, as well as two new features in 'Instant Video Sending' and 'Big Likes.'

Both new features are exactly what they sound like. Instant Video Sending allows users to shoot and play 15-second video messages from the camera, right in the app, and a Big Like is essentially a larger thumbs up for things you really like...

Facebook’s Snapchat competitor ‘Slingshot’ briefly appears in the App Store

Last month, word got out that Facebook was working on a Snapchat competitor called Slingshot. Despite the company's recent $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp, it's still very interested in the video and ephemeral messaging space that's popular among teens.

Today, we got a sneak peek at the app when it prematurely surfaced in the App Store this afternoon. From what we've seen so far, it is beautifully designed and offers both familiar features, such as annotation, and non-familiar features like unlock-able content...

Kik messenger app gains handy new ‘new people’ section

Kik users will be happy to hear that the cross-platform messenger has updated its iOS client today, bringing the app to version 7.2. The update brings about a handful of new improvements, such as a new block and report feature and the ability to send stickers faster.

But easily the biggest change in 7.2 is the new 'new people' section. This allows you to easily manage your conversations with people who aren't in your contacts, and it blurs out photos and other content files from them until you decide that you'd like to view them...