Today, Yahoo Inc unveiled a new video chat app called Livetext that is a little unusual: It has no sound. Instead of talking, the app instead lets you communicate via text while still being able to stream a live video feed.

“From courier mail, to the telephone, to text messaging – as humans, we have always searched for new, more convenient and more inventive ways to connect with others,” Livetext’s Google Play page says. “These interactions form the foundation of our identity and sense of the world.

“The advent of smartphones led a shift towards convenience and speed. We’ve gone from communicating primarily with our voices to using our fingers to text on glass. But somewhere, along the way we lost the natural flow of conversation. Our solution is to go back to the basics, by putting your words and your friend’s real-time reactions at the center of your interaction. We’ve removed audio from the equation, as it’s rarely convenient in today’s fast-paced world.”

The description sounds a little like a cross between Snapchat and Periscope, and the target audience for Livetext is likely the same.

One advantage to Livetext over a standard video chat app is the ability to silently communicate in public while still using video. This could useful for people who do not want their conversations overheard,  as well as for users in loud environments who cannot hear or speak over the noise.

Yahoo says that Livetext is designed to combine the close, personal appeal of video with the ease of use of text.

“Every platform shift leads to new forms of communication, driven by our desire to connect and interact in richer ways,” said Adam Cahan, Senior Vice President of Video, Design, and Emerging Products for Yahoo. “We wanted to create a new way to communicate, blending the simplicity of texting with the emotion and immediacy of live video, to make your experience spontaneous and real.”

Livetext first launched in Hong Kong, but it is now available worldwide for iOS and Android.

Image credit: Yahoo Inc (via iTunes)