Facebook copies Snapchat once more for its main app

Facebook wasn’t satisfied with having Instagram copy Snapchat’s popular feature, it has now brought the disappearing photo and video feature to its main product. You won’t be able to miss this new feature. When you open your Facebook app on mobile, you’ll see the familiar circular icons on top of your News Feed that show posts from your friends for the day. And just like what happens on Snapchat Stories and Instagram Stories, these disappear after 24 hours of being online.

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What are the new stuff Facebook brought to its social network? Facebook Product Manager Connor Hayes wrote about the new features below:

Camera effects: Let your camera do the talking
Starting this week on iOS and Android, you can tap on the camera icon on the top left corner of the Facebook app or swipe right from News Feed to try out the new in-app camera. The Facebook camera is packed with dozens of effects like masks, frames, and interactive filters that you can apply to your photos and videos. Reactive effects let you interact with dynamic objects—like falling snow—and style effects apply an artistic filter to your video in real time.

Facebook also announced it’s partnering with brands to create masks for upcoming movies Alien: Covenant, Despicable Me 3, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Power Rangers, Smurfs: The Lost Village, and Wonder Woman.

There will also be guest art from visual artists like Douglas Coupland and Hattie Stewart. Facebook promises to introduce new effects every now and then to keep things fresh.

Stories: Show friends what you’re up to
Referencing Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories lets you share multiple photos and videos as part of a visual collection atop News Feed. Your friends can view photos or videos from your story for 24 hours before they disappear. These will only appear on your Timeline or News Feed if you post them there specifically. To add to your story, tap on the “Your Story” icon in the Stories bar at the top of News Feed.

Direct: Easily share with exactly who you want
Facebook also lets you share your photos and videos with specific friends. The Direct option is designed for sharing individual photos and videos with specific friends for a limited time. When you send a photo or video via Direct, your friends will be able to view it once and replay it or write a reply. Once the conversation on the photo or video ends, the content is no longer visible in Direct.