Mobile messaging apps may be reaching both saturation point and convergence, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more, right? Meet LokLok.

LokLok sells itself as a connected lock-screen that is always in-sync with you and your favorite group of people. You can draw, write messages, or add photos to your screen, and it shows up on your friends’ screens – all without leaving the lock-screen. This could be a single person, or a whole group.

How it works

With LokLok set as your lockscreen, you tap twice to make it editable (i.e. you choose to doodle), or swipe up to unlock and use your phone as normal.

To draw, you simply use a single finger to make your markings, and to erase you pinch outwards with two fingers.

There’s a number of editing tools available including one that takes you directly to your camera or camera roll, while the palette option lets you choose your tool, brush-stroke and color. Next up, hit the three-dots at the bottom to share (or invite friends to join) and you’re good to go.

LokLok is effectively a synchronized whiteboard, making it as easy as possible to share notes, pictures and random doodles with anyone. Without anyone having to unlock their device.

LokLok says it’s looking to push push experiments around unconventional messaging one step further. “The idea is to use the first interaction that a user has with his phone for the communication process,” explains creator Guillermo Landin, who works as a UX director for Portugal-based Kwamecorp.

“I was curious to see if I could use the screen as the communication channel itself,” continues Guillermo. The original experiment developed into a prototype based on widgets and an HTML5 canvas, then Guillermo brought in a small team to work specifically on the app.

For the security conscious among you, LokLok only keeps the latest image of each group on the server, so when you clear the screen, it’s gone forever. Ephemeral is the key (buzz)word here.

On the surface, this seems like a classic example of something that’s possible on Android but not iOS. However, we’re told they’re already working on a version for Apple’s mobile operating system, “focusing on new possibilities that iOS 8 will introduce.”

The app has been in private stealth for a few months already, and today sees it enter public beta for anyone to join. You can download LokLok for Android now, or watch this promo video below to see how it looks in action.

➤ LokLok | Google Play

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