Yahoo has announced that it has revamped its Messenger service and added more features to make it more appealing to consumers. You can use the new Yahoo Messenger with iOS and Android based smartphones. You can also use a desktop version of the revamped service at messenger.yahoo.com.
The newly revamped messaging platform is designed with mobile devices, image sharing, and group messaging in mind. When the app is launched, you can log in with your phone number and search your address book for other Yahoo Messenger contacts. This allows you to create a contact list with your phone number instead of your Yahoo ID. Regardless of the device used, once you have signed in, you can view all of your previous conversations and send messages to your contacts.
The images sent through the service can be from saved files on your phone or taken at whim in the midst of a chat. The images are compressed to reduce load time, but the original full size photos can be downloaded if you choose. Other messaging apps do not give you that capability. The photos that you receive are put into an easily browsed in-line photo album.
Many will not be surprised at the revamped service’s focus on images. Yahoo is the company behind the popular photo service Flickr. It is also possible to send GIFs through the messaging service. You can search Tumblr by keyword and browse available GIFs by pressing the GIF button. Yahoo also owns Tumblr, one of the most popular GIF database in the world.
One of the best features of the revamped Yahoo Messenger is the ability to unsend messages. Ever send a message that was poorly written or contained regrettable content? With the swipe of a finger, the company will wipe the message from its servers and delete it from the recipient’s phone. The service also gives you the ability to like messages and multiple persons can like a photo or a message in a group conversation.
Yahoo first launched Yahoo Messenger in 1998 as an alternative to AIM. Some of the features of the old Messenger have been removed from the new version. The availability status is no longer a part of the service and the quirky screen names are gone as well. The newly revamped service resembles many of the other messaging services that are now in use. This makes sense as Yahoo will be competing with Facebook Messenger, WeChat, WhatsApp, Viber, and Line for users.
