So we know that Facebook’s working on its second attempt at a Snapchat competitor, called Slingshot, but that hasn’t stopped it from including Snapchat-style features in its Messenger app.
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The latest of these is tap-and-hold video sharing, which has just rolled out on the iOS version of the app and should appear on Android fairly soon.
As TechCrunch points out, Facebook added a pre-recorded video sharing and a split-screen selfie camera back in April, but you can now tap and hold the camera button to record and send a quick movie.
While the move might seem odd given that Facebook’s accidental release of Slingshot suggests that it could land any day now, it hasn’t really been left with any real choice. Video messaging is becoming increasingly popular and it would be remiss of Facebook not to include the feature in its app, especially given that it pretty much forced the app on anyone using the standard Android and iOS Facebook apps.
Anyone using the new feature will note that the camera defaults to front-facing selfie mode, although you can flip it around to show people what you’re seeing at any particular moment in time.
As well as the new video sharing feature, the update comes with the ability to tap and hold the ‘thumbs up’ icon, allowing you to send a bigger “like” symbol.
Given Snapchat’s massive growth, and the fact that Facebook suddenly seems so keen to copy loads of its features, the company’s decision to turn down US$3-billion from Facebook suddenly doesn’t seem so bonkers.
