Facebook adds Stories feature to core app

Facebook Stories has been tested with select users in Ireland and other territories since January 2017. Image: Facebook, Inc. via AFP Relaxnews

Social network Facebook is integrating its temporal Snapchat-like Stories format into the main Facebook mobile app, with photo filters.

Content created using the Stories feature remains available for a limited period of 24 hours, while a number of special photo filters are pulled in from sponsorship campaigns or activated by meeting certain location-based criteria.

Both aspects of Stories have been well associated with Snapchat, itself built on the concept of temporal messaging and a challenger to older social networks; Snapchat Stories was introduced in 2013, with geofilters arriving in 2014 and sponsored geofilters in 2015.

Facebook’s in-app camera includes access to sponsored camera effects derived from major studio films “Alien: Covenant”, “Despicable Me 3”, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”, “Power Rangers”, “Smurfs: The Lost Village” and “Wonder Woman”.

A “Direct” feature also allows users to share stories with specific Facebook contacts.

The ephemerality of Facebook Stories encourages users to check their Facebook timelines on a frequent basis; positioning the tool at the top of the Facebook app emphasizes the seriousness with which Facebook is taking Snapchat’s challenge.

Facebook-owned Instagram added Instagram Stories in August 2016. JB

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