There is a new messaging app on the block and it is called Honk. It aims to messaging with friends a more real-time and interactive. Traditional messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram have a send button that is pressed once one is done typing out a message. Honk wants to do things differently — users are expected to communicate via messages that are shown live as they type. It also has no saved chat history making the whole end to end messaging experience more secure.
A Honk will notify users the instant one leaves a chat. And if you really want to get someone to recognize you just send them a “Honk” — as loud as a car horn sound such that one cannot miss a notification to join your chat.
Repeated pressing of the Honk button will indicate that you are an urgent message to pass on to the other party. This sends notifications to a friend’s phone if they’re off the app, or a flood of colorful emoji if they have the app open.
The Honk app gives its users up to 160 characters to type out your thoughts, and this is counted down on the right side of screen below the conversation bubbles. You don’t tap a “Send” button to share the message — as the recipient is able to see the text as it was entered it, after all. Instead, you just tap the double arrow “refresh” button to clear the screen and type something new.
There are also buttons for sending emoji, snapping a photo or accessing photos from your Camera Roll to share in the chat. The emoji here work more like iMessage’s “Send with Echo” screen effect, as you’re not just sending a single emoji when you use this feature — you’re sending several huge emoji that temporarily fill the screen.
Android users will have to wait for sometime as Honk is currently a free download only on iOS. It does not include in-app purchases for now.
