Jott app

Have you ever heard of Jott, go ask a teenager.

A white-hot new app for instant messaging, Jott has nearly 500,000 monthly users and one million app installs after just three months of launching in the market.

You might think there's no need for yet another messaging app. But, Jared Allgood, CEO and co-founder of Jott, said 30% of U.S. teens don't have text messaging abilities at school.

His company, Juxta Labs, interviewed 350 junior high and high school students and found that teens send 50% of their text messages during school hours -- but many are getting left out of the conversation because they don't have cell phones.

"There's a group of kids whose primary device is an iPod or iPad," All good said. "They don't have  cellular plan, no data plan and most public schools don't provide Wi-Fi access. Essentially, those are kids who show up to school with a dead device."

The solution is "Jott".

The app's AirChat feature allows users to send data and texts without a connection to the Internet. Jott uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios to create a closed network with other devices that are within 100-feet of each other.

Jott also features social media must-haves, including stickers, screen shot detection, disappearing texts and photos and much more. The app also offers advanced security measures. Unlike YikYak, another popular messaging app for teens, Jott users have to provide their real names, birth dates, phone numbers or e-mails and location to gain access to a school network.

"Teens are highly interested in owning their privacy," said Jayson Ahlstrom, Jott's COO and co-founder. "So we give them a level of comfort that what you say is in your control. And you don't have to fear what's going to happen after you hit send."