Another day. Another story.
Snapchat can’t seem to catch a break. Last week, Facebook launched Messenger Day (the newest Snapchat clone) to tap into the hundreds of millions of people already using the Messenger app. Like with Instagram and Snapchat Stories, Messenger Day allows users to share photos and videos “as they happen.” Users can customize their photos and videos with thousands of effects, frames and stickers that of course, disappear in 24 hours.
Image: TechCrunch
If you’ve used Snapchat before, the process is quite similar. Open Messenger and you can either tap the shutter circle in the bottom function bar or drag down to access the Messenger camera. Take a selfie or video and add your graphics and effects. To add art and effects, tap the smiley face icon on the top right and then tap to add to your photo or video. You can also add text by tapping the “Aa” icon and overlay a drawing by tapping the squiggly line.
Once your photo is jazzed up and ready to share, tap the arrow in the bottom right corner. Then, you’ll be able to add directly to your Day, save it to your phone’s camera roll or send it to a specific person or group. You can also add a photo or video to your Day story from any conversation you’re having in Messenger.
Need to take something down from your shared content? Facebook gives users complete control over who sees their Messenger Day with options to delete or share to certain people.
The launch of Messenger Day serves as a reminder that Facebook is not letting any competitor out-do them, even if it comes with the copy-cat backlash from the Snapchat fanbase. There’s not much to differentiate between the two as far as functionality, but it’s only natural to think that Facebook will soon be king of the story. With a billion active monthly users and 17 billion photos privately shared monthly on Messenger, it’s hard to argue.
