Yahoo Messenger Returns to Do Battle With Snapchat, WhatsApp

If you've been on the Internet for a while, you probably used Yahoo Messenger at one point. But chances are, it has since been replaced by WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Slack, Gchat, or any number of more modern messaging services.

Yahoo wants to change that. Marissa Mayer and Co. on Wednesday unveiled a new version of Messenger for mobile devices and the Web, which has been completely rebuilt "with group messaging in mind," integrating some of the best elements of Flickr, Tumblr, and Yahoo's Xobni smart address book, according to Yahoo's SVP of Product and Engineering for Communication Products, Jeff Bonforte.

"We've made sharing, 'unsending,' and 'liking' messages, photos, and animated GIFs easy and insanely fast — unlike anything you've experienced before," Bonforte wrote in a blog post.

One handy new feature — bulk photo sharing.

"You can literally send hundreds of photos at a time and they appear to everyone in the conversation almost instantly," Bonforte wrote.

The new Messenger also gives you access to a "virtually unlimited and ever-growing library of GIFs," from Tumblr that you can search for and share inside the app.

Another cool new addition — a Snapchat-like feature that lets you kill off messages you'd rather not relive. You can "unsend" any message, photo, or GIF at any time, and it will "vanish instantly from the conversation" for everyone involved.

Yahoo's Messenger revamp team also took some inspiration from Facebook for this update: You can "like" any comment, photo, or GIF in a 1:1 convo or group message.

Finding friends to connect with should be easier than ever thanks to a new "smart contacts system" powered by the Xobni platform, which understands who you know and the relationship between your contacts. Once you create a group, any member can add another participant as well as change the group's name and photo.

Finally, the new Messenger shouldn't have any trouble keeping up with you. "In an area like photo sharing, it is almost inconceivably fast," Bonforte wrote. "Syncing conversations between Yahoo Messenger on the Web, in Yahoo Mail and your smartphone happens almost in real-time."

The new Messenger is available globally today on iOS, Android, the Web, and in Yahoo Mail on the desktop.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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