Remember when Facebook killed off its Snapchat clone Poke? Yes, I’m talking about last week. Well, it seems they’re not giving up on the dream of self-destructing messages just yet.
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According to the Financial Times, Facebook is busy developing another Snapchat-style mobile app which will allow users to send each other short video clips which will disappear after being watched. Their sources suggest the app is codenamed ‘Slingshot’, and has been in development for several months, and could be launched in the coming weeks.
If the rumours are true, the app would be the latest move in Facebook’s mobile strategy, with the social media giant saying earlier this year that it would be releasing a number of mobile apps before the end of 2014. So far, it has released Flipboard-style newsreading app Paper and culled its Instagram-style Camera app, along with Poke.
So why would Slingshot succeed where Poke failed? There have been reports that Poke was developed in just 12 hours, so perhaps Slingshot will be a more robust and well crafted offering that could potentially give Snapchat a run for its money in the ephemeral messaging space.
The news comes after Facebook’s failed buyout of Snapchat last year, where the app’s founders turned down a reported US$3-billion from Mark Zuckerberg and company. The social media company has been expanding its presence in the messaging space recently, most notably with the increased focus on its Messenger app and the acquisition of popular multi-platform messaging app WhatsApp earlier this year.
