What Is the Marco Polo App?

Send individual or group video chats with filters, voices, and more

By
Amanda Derrick
Amanda Derrick
Amanda Derrick
Freelance Contributor
  • University of Utah
  • Florida Tech
Amanda Derrick is a mechanical engineer, business strategist, and former Lifewire writer who has also written for USAF Civil Service, ATK, and Boeing.
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Updated on January 19, 2021

Marco Polo is a video messaging app available for iOS and Android. While messaging apps are common, this one lets you record video and send it as a message that can be watched either in real time or at a later date. Messages won't disappear or expire, so keeping up with the conversation is easier. Here's everything you need to know about the Marco Polo app.

What Is Marco Polo?

Marco Polo is a one-way-at-a-time video chat service. You use it on your device to record a video message to send to a friend or group of friends. The recipients can watch you live, but they can't send their video back at the same time (like a FaceTime call). The recipient can also watch your videos at a later time. Essentially, the people in the chat take turns sending videos.

How Marco Polo Works

Marco Polo allows you to import your contacts by phone number, then add one or more people to a Polo or chat. It's essentially a video walkie-talkie, allowing you to send messages to friends, which they can watch either while you're recording the message or later. After watching your message, friends can then reply to you.

When you download the app, you have the option to import your phone contacts or add friends one at a time using their phone numbers. The app also asks if you want to invite your contacts who aren't on Marco Polo by sending them a text message with information on downloading the app.

Your identity is based on your phone number, which means you aren't dependent on your friends (or parents and grandparents) having social media accounts to use it.

Marco Polo Home screen, Settings, Active Chat

Marco Polo in Real Time

When sending Polos, only one member of a group chat can record a message at a time. However, if someone is watching live while you record, they can send a handful of reaction emojis during the recording. Those reactions are limited and silent; happy faces, hearts, and a thumbs-up emoji are options. This is similar to watching someone's Facebook or Instagram live stream and tapping the Like or heart icons.

These one-way video messages are saved for you and your message group to watch again later, including the reactions.

Sending the emojis is fun, especially for kids. However, unless your recipient starts watching your message at the exact time you start recording, their reaction will be out of sync with what you're saying. For true reactions, re-watch your message after you send it.

Marco Polo Messaging

Your message recipient doesn't have to be available to watch the moment you start sending a Marco Polo. Your message is stored in your chat for your friends to watch when they can. Plus, your messages are saved, so you can re-watch a funny story if you want to relive the fun or show someone else.

You can also use Marco Polo to send a photo or type a message on the screen. However, you can't set the amount of time the photos or messages display, and the default setting is short. If you have more than a sentence to share, you're better off with text messaging.

Marco Polo can alert you of an incoming message if you choose to allow notifications.

More Information on Marco Polo Messaging

Marco Polo features include:

  • Ability to save and re-watch messages.
  • Group or individual messaging.
  • Emoji reactions.
  • Text overlay.
  • Voice filters.
  • Forward or selfie-facing camera modes.

Marco Polo doesn't allow you to browse for friends of friends or total strangers. To chat with someone, you must add that person to your contacts. Children under 13 aren't permitted to create accounts.

Marco Polo stores video messages and personal information you provide (such as profile photos and your phone number). If you have concerns about how it uses that information, view its privacy policy.

Marco Polo is free to download and has no ads.

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