Facebooks clone of Snapchat is in Messenger now, too

Facebook has already rolled out Snapchat-like feature to Instagram and WhatsApp – so it may not be a surprise that Messenger would be next on the list.
 
The social media app has just introduced ‘Messenger Day’, which lets user share photos and videos with illustrated filters and stickers that vanish in 24 hours - just like Snapchat Stories.
 
The feature first appeared as an experiment in several countries, but Facebook has now started releasing it all over the globe – starting with the US.
 
Messenger Day was first spotted in the Poland market in September 2016, which was part of Facebook’s plan to pique the interest of those who have yet to get hooked on its rival, Snapchat.
 
By piggy packing on the success of Messenger to push its Stories format, Facebook might be able to increase retention and lure users back to the app – all while taking the top spot for people to post lively content.
 
‘The way people want to share today is different than it was 5 or 10 years ago; communication is becoming more visual than ever, and people want lightweight, easy ways to share throughout the day,’ a Facebook spokesperson told DailyMail.com in an email.
 
‘Messenger Day is a continuation of Facebook Inc.'s strategy to put video first across all apps and services.’
 
The focus of the new feature is that it ‘puts the camera front and center’, which Facebook hopes will ‘spark better, more meaningful conversations’ in the app.
 
Now when users open up their Messenger app there will be a sun icon centered in the bottom – it is the camera option.
 
There are more than 5,000 frames, effects and stickers that can be added to photos and videos prior to adding them to 'My Day', which is similar to Stories on Instagram.
 
You can choose to send the content to certain individuals or share it on Day where you will be notified who views it- messages are also shown in a carousel at the top of the app, just like in Instagram.
 
And similar to Snapchat, the messages will disappear within 24 hours of sharing.
 
Facebook has been accused of being a Snapchat copycat since releasing Stories on Instagram.
 
This feature lets users create 10-second video clips and share them with a select group of followers- and they also disappear in 24 hours.
 
And the most recent occurrence appear in WhatsApp last month.
 
The platform launched a new tab that lets users share decorated photos, videos and GIFs that also vanish after 24 hours.
 
Facebook has yet to make any comments regarding the allegations of being a copycat or explain why it has pulled inspiration from Snapchat.
 
However, Facebook did offer to buy Snapchat in 2013 for $3 billion, but the team declined the offer and went on to make its own way in the social media world – some believe Facebook’s revenge is stealing their features.
 
Snapchat instantly became a hit among users, who referred to it as a next generation messaging service.
 
And earlier this month, the team filed for an IPO pricing of $17 a share – suggesting the firm was worth $33 billion. 

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