Facebook is reportedly working on a Snapchat-like camera app -- again
Facebook may be working on yet another Snapchat clone.
The social network is developing a standalone camera app meant to "encourage its 1.6 billion users to create, and share, more photos and videos," according to a new report in The Wall Street Journal.
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The report, which credits unnamed sources familiar with Facebook's plans, says the app is being created by a team in London and is "similar" to Snapchat. The unnamed app reportedly launches on the camera -- like Snapchat -- and will reportedly integrate with Instagram and other Facebook-owned apps. It will also allow users to share live streamed video back to Facebook, according to the report.
A representative for Facebook declined to comment on the report. The company is also rumored to be working on a standalone app for 360-degree videos.
If the new camera app launches -- and it's not clear that it will -- it would be far from the first time Facebook has attempted to make its own Snapchat-like camera app. Here's a brief look at all the times the company has tried (and failed) to release a camera app:
2012: Facebook Camera -- An Instagram-like photo sharing app released just weeks after it announced its Instagram acquisition
2012: Facebook Poke -- Its first attempt at a straight-up Snapchat clone, Poke was released in 2012 but failed to gain traction, it was pulled from the App Store in 2014
2014: Slingshot -- Another disappearing messaging app that failed to take off despite the fact that it didn't require a Facebook account to use. Facebook pulled the app in 2015.
2014: Bolt -- An experimental app from the Instagram team, Bolt was first launched in New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa but never made it to the U.S. It was pulled in 2015.
2015: Riff -- Another app from Facebook's now defunct Creative Labs team, Riff was premised on groups of friends sharing and remixing video clips. It was pulled later that year.
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Topics Facebook Social Media
Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.
