14 DAY TRIAL // In record time, Snapchat has become one of the most popular mobile messaging applications out there for sharing photos, videos, and text. Many of Snapchat’s features have been copied by other social networks, and Facebook appears to be the latest.
Facebook is testing a new feature for its main app, one that includes special effects on top of videos, according to Recode. The new camera and messaging feature would allow users to apply special effects like facial masks to pictures and videos.
Once the photo or video is opened, users would have 24 hours to reply before it disappears. The feature seems very familiar to Snapchat’s disappearing messages. The 1.7 billion Facebook users will be able to take advantage of this new feature, but it’s a bit unclear when that will actually happen.
The new camera feature has a separate inbox inside the main Facebook app. This means that users won’t need to access Messenger in order to send or receive such pictures and videos. The feature does resemble Facebook Live Video, but for a close group of friends.
Facebook introduced Live Video to Android earlier this year, as a feature for broadcasting videos to various countries using the highly-popular platform.
Facebook isn’t the only major social network that has tried to copy Snapchat features. Instagram recently introduced a new Stories feature that’s quite similar to Snapchat, in the sense that it also has the 24-hour time limit for posted photos and videos.
Until Facebook makes the new camera feature available, users can check out the latest update to the Facebook app, which brings Halloween-themed masks and reactions.
