A Complete Review of the Marco Polo App, And Why Your Marriage Needs It

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Communication is so important to a marriage, and technology has taken over most of that.  This Marco Polo app review explains why this app is exactly what you need to have a better marriage!

I’m not sure if you’ve ever seen/heard of the studies about how we communicate with each other.  I’ve heard it a few times, but I had sort of a revelation the other day when I thought about it.

See, there was a researcher who did a study and theorized that only 7% of communication is about the words you actually use.

Now I’ve heard debates about whether that study is accurate or not.  I Googled it just now and saw a lot of people challenging the results.  Regardless, I’m thinking that even if only half of communication is about the words you use, that leaves 50% of communication that’s about nonverbal communication.

You know, things like tone of voice, posture, mannerisms, inflection, facial expressions… all of it.

Now… let’s talk about texting.

Heh.  See where I’m going with this?

No matter how the numbers actually break down between verbal vs. nonverbal communication, you can’t deny that those nonverbal cues are hugely important to getting your point across.

Nonverbal cues can be the difference between a statement being taken as a playful tease and an accusation.  Which means they can be the difference between a pleasant conversation and a misunderstanding that sparks a massive argument.

I mean, maybe that sounds a little dramatic, but I know you’ve been there.  You and your husband are just not quite connecting, whether it’s from strife with each other, life stress, or generally not getting enough time together.  After a while, it’s easy to start getting salty toward one another, and it just takes one tiny thing to tip you both over the edge.

It’s a pretty common issue in law enforcement marriages, really – with all the curveballs police wife life throws you (like, all the time), communication can take a huge nosedive quickly.  You start living too much in your separate lives.  Loneliness sets in.  Resentment follows.  Then you both start taking texts out of context, adding your own inflection, and taking things totally the wrong way.

Seriously – it can just happen so quickly.

And here’s where the Marco Polo app comes in.

A Complete Marco Polo App Review

How It Works

The Marco Polo app is marketed as a video walkie-talkie.

To me, I’d describe it more of like video texting.  Probably because I’ve never really used a walkie-talkie, but I digress. 🙂 Describe it however you’d like, but the fact remains, it’s a game-changer.

To use it, you open up the app, choose who you want to talk to, press “start”, talk, then press “stop” and send your video.

The person you’re sending it to receives it, can watch it at their convenience, then respond at their convenience as well.

That’s it.  Super simple.

Why It’s Awesome

It’s free!

Seriously, it doesn’t cost a dime, and your Polos aren’t interrupted by ads constantly.  That’s pretty rare, and so awesome considering how much better it can make your life/marriage.

It’s simple.

The learning curve for using this app is minimal.  After you send 3-4 Polos, you’ll feel comfortable using it.

And for me to say that is, I feel, a lot.  I’m very much an introvert and not necessarily all about talking through video – but the Marco Polo app has quickly become my preferred way to talk to my husband throughout the day and connect with my family in other states, because of its simplicity.

Before, I liked to FaceTime my mom and sister to connect with them, but it was kind of high-pressure.  I felt like I had to be “on” and have something to say for an extended period of time (which isn’t really my strong suit.)  It also meant keeping my son entertained the whole time without letting him keep the phone (and showing off his forehead only.)

With Marco Polo, I can send a quick video message when something interesting is happening or when I have something to say/ask, and bam.  It’s done.  And then I get to see their pretty faces, too!

It’s versatile.

Not only can you have 1-on-1 video conversations with this app, but also:

• Forward Polos to others:  Sometimes I’ll send videos of my kids to my husband but I also want to send them to my parents or a friend.  I can do that!
• Create a group chat: Have a group of people you want to talk to about something?  You can create a Polo group that will allow you to do just that.  This is what I do for my blog mastermind group and it works great!
• Add text/filters to Polos:  Just in case you want to 🙂 The coolest filter you can use is the Night Vision filter, so if you’re wanting to send a Polo in a dark setting you still totally can.
• Check whether your Polos have been watched or not:  That way you know if your message was actually received or not.

It’s private.

You’re not sharing your life with all of Facebook/Instagram/whoever.  You only send Polos to specific people, just like text messages.  This also makes it more comfortable for even an introvert to make use of, so that if you say or do something stupid you’re not broadcasting it to the masses.

Arguably, because you can forward Polos, it’s not *completely* private – but honestly, that’s true of text messages too.  Just don’t send videos of yourself in any compromising situations and you’re golden.

Even so, it’s nice that your contacts can’t see your location.  They could figure it out by the background, of course, but if you’re concerned with privacy, the app doesn’t invade your personal space more than you allow.  You can even set it so it doesn’t show you as active when you’re online, in case you want to be on in “ghost mode.”

The other benefit of this privacy, for me, is it’s allowed me to feel more comfortable practicing speaking in German with my dad.  Less pressure, and I can re-watch his Polos as necessary if I didn’t quite catch what he said.  But the privacy?  Very important, because I’m not great at speaking German yet.  Yikes.

It improves your communication SO MUCH.

The Marco Polo app is a total game-changer when it comes to electronic communication Not only can you send your message verbally, but those you’re talking to can actually see you! That means they get the full message you’re trying to get across, not just the words by themselves.

Plus, you can communicate better about stuff you struggle to describe… like the time I noticed there were a bunch of lights on the dashboard of our car.  Rather than trying to explain what I’m talking about, I could take a Polo with the camera facing the dashboard and rant about how annoying cars can be.

See?  Full message, gotten across flawlessly.

Drawbacks

Honestly?  The biggest drawback is that because the person you’re sending the Polo to can watch it live, you can’t un-say something stupid.  Or get rid of embarrassing music in the background (like that time I sent my husband a Polo with Genie In A Bottle playing in the background and had to own up to it.)

 

I am seriously, ridiculously in love with this app and I can’t recommend it enough! So if you haven’t downloaded it already, I definitely recommend you do.