Yahoo has revitalized Messenger, releasing an updated product for mobile, Web and desktop Yahoo Mail users on Thursday. The move was viewed as a means to address mounting investor concerns over the
brand's revenue-producing capabilities.
Yahoo Messenger customers can share, like and unsend messages, photos and animated GIFs to any individual or group conversation. The new mobile
application is available today for both iOS and Android devices, but is currently restricted to English-only versions. The company stated in a press release that local languages would be available
soon.
The new messaging app brings together a conglomerate of Yahoo acquisitions and features a Flickr-powered photo-sharing platform, a GIF search boosted by Tumblr, and Yahoo Mail’s
new Account Key for secure password-free access. The
product also includes the ability to “like” content and a new unsend feature to remove any embarrassing messages from both the sender and receiver’s message thread.
“The messaging space has grown dramatically, yet people ultimately want a fast and easy way to communicate with each other,” states Jeff Bonforte, senior vice president of communication
products and engineering at Yahoo. “The new Yahoo Messenger was designed first and foremost to meet those needs.”
Yahoo also recently tested software that restricts ad-blocking users, and the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Yahoo’s
board was considering selling its core Internet business.