The trends for copying isn't over yet, and again it's Facebook that clones.
The social media giant is bringing in even more Snapchat's functionality into its mobile app. The company has introduced a variety of features to enhance experience when taking and sharing videos and pictures.
First up is Stories. After bringing the feature to WhatsApp and Instagram, it's now Facebook's core app to have the feature. Stories allows users to share posts that will show on top of their friends' News Feed. And just like Snapchat, Stories will disappear after 24 hours being posted.
To use this feature, users on both Android and IOS can tap on app's camera icon to open a Snapchat-esque in-app camera for effects-like experience. The Facebook camera allows users to add feature effects like masks, frames and interactive filters to their multimedia.
Facebook has partnered with a number of brands to create special masks from movies, such as Alien: Covenant, Despicable Me 3, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Power Rangers, Smurfs: The Lost Village and Wonder Woman.
Then next is Direct Sharing. What the feature does, is allowing users to share their photos and videos directly to a specified audience. Friends that are chosen can view the photo or video once and respond, then the original disappears forever.
This isn't the first time that Facebook blatantly copies Snapchat. And with the many clones that Facebook is having, the social media is continuing its assault to blur the lines between it and Snapchat.
Facebook's decision to also adopt Stories is also because Instagram's version of Stories is having more than 150 million daily users. And with good receptions from most of its users, Facebook is charging at full-speed, attacking Snapchat from every angle without having to bother about the dent it may give its existing business. As a company with teams of engineers and a massive amount of resources, Facebook is certain that it can eat away competitor that it sees fit.
By pivoting into Stories, Facebook is also making its biggest change in a decade, which is evolving from text and link-focused sharing, into visual communication format.
According to Facebook Camera product manager Connor Hayes:
Further reading: Facebook, Instagram Vs. Snapchat: Copying To Eliminate The Threats