Facebook acquires a company behind one of the most popular apps in the App Store, Masquerade. The app allows users to overlay animated filters over their face using their mobile device's selfie camera. With it, users can also record video or take still photos to share on other social networks.
The social network plans to keep Masquerade operational as a standalone and free app. By acquiring it, the company can integrate its technology into Facebook, and joins its arsenal creative tools that include stickers, doodles and photo filters.
"At Masquerade, we've worked hard to make video more fun and engaging by creating filters that enhance and alter your appearance," said the startup. "Now, we're excited to join forces with Facebook and bring the technology to even more people. Within Facebook, we're going to be able to reach people at a scale like never before."
"Masquerade has built a fantastic app, MSQRD, with world-class imaging technology for video," said a Facebook spokesperson. "We're excited to welcome Masquerade to our team and continue enhancing the Facebook video experience."
With Masquerate within Facebook, the social network is heating up a competition with Snapchat which also brought imaging feature (Lenses) that spices up videos and selfies with fun filters, masks and other special effects.
Masquerade's popular features is "face swap," which allows users to trade faces in photos. The app also lets selfies using celebrity's face as masks.