Capture and Share the Moment with the Fun, Free, Family History-focused “Marco Polo” App

Avery Hartmans, a tech reporter for The Business Insider, writes, “If you’ve ever wanted to recapture the magic of playing with walkie-talkies as a kid, there’s an app designed to do just that — 2017-style.” She is describing the app Marco Polo, created by Joya Communications whose website states that its mission is “to help people feel close no matter the

distance, enabling people to remain connected in convenient and meaningful ways.” Marco Polo is definitely one of our family’s favorite apps!

In addition to instant face-to-face conversation (without requiring the “chatters” to be on their phones at the same time) this app also has the benefit of a “group” option. This allows families and friends to stay in touch (in the same room or across the miles) and all members can react to each video posted if they would like. For me and my family, Marco Polo is also a family history gold mine – a great way to accomplish goals from The Family History Guide’s Family Activities Page “Documenting the Past” category, and is so much fun to use anytime! You are making family history every day, so read here to learn how to save your Marco Polo videos.

A technology culture reporter, Omar L. Gallaga, asks the question in the 512 Tech Blog, “So why would you use Marco Polo instead of say, Instagram, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger?”

For one thing, I like that it’s not tied to a larger social network, making it more intimate and less noisy. And the app’s notifications are actually useful: it will tell you when a friend begins viewing your latest video message, when they’re recording one that’s viewable and even when a friend’s Internet connection is spotty and causing a transmission delay. And the videos, which you can browse back through, are stored online, so they don’t take up lots of space on your device.

The description for Marco Polo in Google Apps includes a myriad of its other benefits. Here are a few of them:

Fun & Funny
Laugh, be silly; voice and camera filters and doodles will make your whole group chuckle.
Share Daily Moments Effortlessly
Genuine time together happens in moments like saying good morning, the baby’s cute gurgles, watching the ball game, desperately needed advice on that outfit.
One tap to connect instantly – Hands-Free
Perfect for connecting on-the-go when your hands are busy—turn dinner prep time or the walk between appointments into quality time with loved ones.
Full Expressions, No Typing
After sending a Polo, you won’t want to text again. With one tap, express yourself fully; see facial expressions, hear tone of voice. No typing, no miscommunication.
Free & Unlimited
Go ahead, chat as long as you like. It’s free to use. Most Polos are stored on our server to free up space on your device.
Enjoy Now and Watch Again Later. Watch and re-watch Polos whenever you like—they won’t disappear.
It’s Private
Trust that your communication is private. No one has access to your Polos.

So there you have it! Just tonight, I videoed choice moments of our family Christmas party using Marco Polo for those family members who live out of Utah where we held our get-together. These loved ones had the option to watch us “party on” in real time ( and join in the fun with video comments), or watch and comment at a later date. How cool is that? Anything I videoed is saved so that we can “re-live” the white elephant gift exchange, making quilts for refuges in our area, enjoying our meal (German dished to honor my husband), the tour of our son and his wife’s new home, and all the stories from our family history that we shared. Oh, and the boys wrestling on the new carpet and our grandkids playing the new board games. I think Marco Polo lives up to its reputation – a fun, functional, family history focused app!