Facebook, Eyeing Snapchat, Launches New Camera Features
March 28 2017 - 8:29AM
Dow Jones News
By Deepa Seetharaman
Facebook Inc. is taking another shot at Snapchat.
On Tuesday, the social-media giant introduced three new
camera-centric features to its main Facebook app, including one
that allows users to create photo and video montages that vanish
within 24 hours--just like Snapchat's Stories. Facebook is also
making the camera accessible with one swipe to the right and adding
a variety of filters and masks. The third feature is a
direct-messaging tool.
The features, which roll out globally later this week, are
intended to lower the bar for what kind of content can be shared on
Facebook and counter a yearslong decline in posting. Facebook aims
to carve out an informal space within the app that allows for
off-the-cuff sharing without the permanence of the news feed.
"Every piece of content is not created equal in terms of who you
want to share it with and where you want it to go," said Connor
Hayes, Facebook product manager overseeing the launch. User
research showed that people want to share both private moments with
one person and the "monumental moment" with everyone on Facebook,
he added.
Over the past two years, Facebook has closely studied Snapchat
to better understand its appeal among younger users. On Snapchat,
the camera is available from the moment users open the app,
encouraging them to create richer content than on Facebook, which
still opens to a text box. Facebook is trying to encourage the same
kind of activity by making the camera accessible with just one
swipe.
Facebook's mimicry casts a shadow over Snap Inc., which has said
its growth has slowed since Facebook ramped up the pressure.
Facebook Stories marks the company's fourth clone of Snapchat
Stories--introduced three years ago--since last summer. Facebook's
photo-sharing app, Instagram, first copied the format last August.
Its success prompted Facebook to start testing similar versions
across its suite of apps. Last month, Facebook adapted the format
to WhatsApp with a feature called Status. Earlier this month, it
launched Day within Facebook Messenger.
Mr. Hayes acknowledges Snap as the pioneer of the format. He
said that users are sharing more often in markets where both
Instagram and Facebook Stories have been available in testing.
"Our view is that over time, as people create mostly photos and
videos and share mostly photos and videos, that Stories is going to
be the way that they're going to want to do it," he said.
Facebook Stories initially won't be available to verified
accounts from publishers and celebrities. Facebook said it wants
Stories to focus first on connecting friends.
Write to Deepa Seetharaman at Deepa.Seetharaman@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 28, 2017 08:14 ET (12:14 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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