Facebook, Eyeing Snapchat, Launches New Camera Features

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 [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 28, 2017 08:14 ET (12:14 GMT)

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