Marco Polo - Video Messenger for Android

Marco Polo - Video Messenger is a communication app by Joya Communications that lets people exchange recorded video messages instead of holding live calls. It has been around since July 2014 and has built a following of roughly ten million installs, with a rating of 4.62 from more than 313,000 reviews. The idea is simple: you record a video when it suits you, and the person on the other end watches and replies whenever they have a moment. Nothing has to happen in real time, so mismatched schedules stop being a barrier to staying in touch.

The app positions itself as something other than a social network. There is no public feed, no follower count and no like button to chase, and the developers state that it carries no ads. Conversations stay between the people you have added, and the only way someone can reach you is through your phone number. Beyond one-to-one chats, you can create groups so several friends or family members can swap videos in the same thread, and the Sharecast option lets you send a single video to everyone in your circle while keeping the replies and reactions visible only to you.

The current release is version 0.596.0, dated October 9, 2026, and it requires Android 8.1 or newer. The changelog notes that updates arrive on a weekly basis with the aim of a faster and more dependable experience, and it suggests leaving automatic updates switched on. The app is free to download, though optional in-app purchases exist in the form of the Marco Polo Plus and Plus Family plans.

A premium tier adds extras such as adjustable playback speed between 1.5x and 3x, background listening, custom and animated emojis, and Plus Passes that can be shared with others. The free tier still covers unlimited chats and groups, emoji reactions and special effects, so the paid options are conveniences rather than requirements for basic use. Permissions requested include camera, microphone, contacts, photos and media, storage, identity, phone, and Wi-Fi connection details, all of which line up with recording and sending video.

Key features

• Recorded video messages that the recipient can watch and answer on their own schedule
• One-on-one conversations as well as group chats with several participants
• Sharecast, which sends one video to your whole circle while only you see the reactions and replies
• Emoji reactions and playful special effects on messages
• No advertising and no public profiles, with contact limited to people who have your phone number
• Videos kept in the cloud with no length limit, so older conversations remain available to rewatch
• Optional Plus features including 1.5x to 3x playback speed, background listening and animated emojis
• Works over a Wi-Fi connection, which is handy when travelling or living in different countries

How to install

1. Tap the download button on this page to get the APK file.
2. If Android blocks the file, allow your browser or file manager to install apps by enabling the Install unknown apps permission for that app.
3. Open the downloaded APK file from your notifications or your file manager.
4. Tap Install and wait for the process to finish; the download size is not listed here, so make sure you have a little free space.
5. Confirm that your device runs Android 8.1 or newer before installing, then open the app and sign in to start a conversation.

What's new · 0.596.0

Version 0.596.0 is a routine weekly maintenance release. The update focuses on improving app speed and overall reliability. No new user-facing features are mentioned in the changelog; it is a stability-focused refresh. Users are encouraged to enable automatic updates to ensure they receive future improvements promptly.

Families spread across different cities or time zones, grandparents and relatives who want to see faces rather than read text, and close groups of friends who find scheduling a live call difficult. It also suits busy people who want to reply during short breaks rather than commit to a long conversation.

Leave automatic updates enabled, since the developers ship small improvements every week and that keeps the app running smoothly without you having to check manually.

Marco Polo - Video Messenger takes a calm approach to staying in touch: you talk when you can, and the people you care about answer when they can. The absence of ads and public profiles keeps the focus on private conversations, and the free tier is generous enough for everyday use. The trade-off is that recorded messages are not live calls, and some handy extras sit behind a subscription. If your circle struggles to line up schedules, this is a sensible pick.