Yahoo launches next-generation messaging platform

Yahoo on Thursday launched a next-generation messaging platform in an ambitious bid to forge ahead of rivals, as rumors swirled that the internet pioneer was considering selling its core business.

New Yahoo Messenger apps were released in English for smartphones or tablets powered by Apple or Android software, and so also were versions of the service tailored for use on the web or on desktop computers.

The updated instant messaging platform would replace its predecessor in Yahoo's free email service, which counts 225 million users monthly.

It comes as the first complete remake of Yahoo Messenger since its introduction 17 years ago amid increasing trend of sending digital missives or photos with the proliferation of smartphones and other devices.

Yahoo will take on several well-entrenched rivals, including WhatsApp, Snapchat, iMessenger and Facebook Messenger.

''Yahoo decided it was time to build a ground-up rewrite of the platform that was completely modern and prepares Yahoo to ship really disruptive innovative features,'' Yahoo Messenger senior director of product management, Austin Shoemaker, said while giving a look at the platform.

According to the company, it had redesigned Yahoo Messenger from the ground up across platforms, which lends a cleaner, less cluttered look to the service.

Jeff Bonforte, senior vice president of Communication Products and Engineering at Yahoo, said, "We're excited to introduce the next generation of Yahoo Messenger. It has long been one of our core products but it was time to redesign the product from the ground up and reinvest in one of the most important products in our history as a company."

Yahoo Messenger integrates several new features; while sharing multiple photos within the app, they appear in a grid that scrolls horizontally. The pictures can be downloaded in full resolution, which is a plus over apps such as WhatsApp - where photos are compressed. The photos can also be liked within the app now.

Yahoo Messenger users can also unsend messages now. For reversing a message sent accidentally users can do it with two taps, while using the revamped Yahoo Messenger.