
By Niamh ODonoghue
08th Nov 2016
08th Nov 2016
In a bid to win back users, Facebook is set to introduce a new feature that looks starkly similar to Snapchat – and they’re testing it here first.
On Friday, Facebook announced the addition of their newest camera feature which allows users to send funny selfies to other Facebook users that disappear after 24 hours. The new feature, which is simply called “the new camera”, will contain very similar features to Snapchat including augmented reality filters and masks. Users will find the addition of a camera button at the top of their news feeds which will bring them to the new interface.
This is an obvious cry for help/retaliation against the ever-popular Snapchat, but do we really need another rendition of Snapchat? We get that Facebook miss being the popular kids at school, but rather being the cute kid that everyone wants to play with Facebook has hit it’s awkward teens and is becoming just that; awkward.
Countering the move, creator of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg?has said he has?adopted a new mantra where the “camera is the composer”, and is actively working in making the camera “a creative tool”. Yes, it’s true; we do use our cameras more than ever to share our lives and communicate.?But why can’t Facebook just leave Snapchat alone?
Perhaps Zuckerberg is panicking, and why wouldn’t he? Currently, there are more than 8 billion videos watched per day on Snapchat, compared with Facebook’s 1.7 billion active monthly users. In defense of Zuckerberg Instagram are also trying?to win back their users with the introduction of ‘Instagram Stories’.
Facebook did try to buy Snapchat?from its co-founder Evan Spiegel three years ago?but failed, and now it wants to destroy it by replicating?the success of its fast-growing rival.
Keep an eye for the update this week and let us know if you’ll be using the Facebook camera.