Cord Project Launches Voice Messaging App in 16 Languages
New York-based startup Cord Project, founded by former Google executives Jeff Baxter and Thomas Gayno, has launched its flagship app, Cord, for Android and iOS mobile devices. An early version was released on iOS in September, but this latest version introduces new features, languages, and improvements to the platform.
Cord combines asynchronous communication, an innovative user experience, and the emotional power of voice to create a truly new take on messaging. Cord reduces the friction of typical messaging apps by replacing threads of conversations with the faces of the people you talk to the most. The interface, optimized for voice, requires two simple gestures: tap to listen and hold to record.
“Cord is designed to feel at home on any device. The huge variety of hardware that Android opens up for us really lets Cord show its flexibility,” Baxter said in a statement. "It's a super-simple interface that works as well on a tiny three-inch screen as it does on a tablet."
Among the many updates and improvements is the ability to share Cord messages with anyone, anywhere, through a short link on the Web. This opens the door to sharing short voice messages on nearly any platform, such as SMS, email, Twitter, or Facebook.
This early version of the app supports 16 languages, which the company says is important since the app already draws two thirds of its user base from outside the United States.
"Having Cord available on both Android and iOS means that we're now officially launched," Gayno said in a statement. "Today, no messaging service can thrive as an app that only works on one platform. When we want to talk to people, we don't want to worry about which OS they're using."
"Cord represents the future of mobile messaging—easy, quick, text-less, and voice-based, and we're thrilled with the full app release across both mobile platforms," said Kamran Ansari, principal at Greycroft Partners, one of the investors in the Cord Project, in a statement.