Facebook launched an app called Flash for emerging markets which is almost identical to Snapchat as it allows users to send ephemeral pictures and videos, and also includes filters, Re/code reported.
Facebook’s earlier attempts to launch Snapchat-like apps, Poke and Slingshot, failed and were both shut down, but in recent months it has been incorporating Snapchat features into Messenger and Instagram.
This time, it’s gone for an app that is less than 25MB in size, around a third of Snapchat, targeting emerging markets where connectivity is low and where Snapchat isn’t as popular as it is in developed markets (it has 60 million daily users in the US and Canada).
For now, Facebook has only launched an Android version in Brazil. It plans to take the app to other markets, but hasn’t said where.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in an earnings call last week that the camera will become the main way of sharing on social media, rather than text, an indication of where the company’s focus lies.
Last month, Facebook was reportedly testing its Messenger Day feature in Australia, enabling users to add photos and videos to a feed which disappears in 24 hours, and also introduced filters for the Live feature in its core app.
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