Facebook is set to launch a clone of Snapchat’s Stories feature after testing out the product, a series of photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours, for the last three months.
The company announced its own Stories feature Tuesday in a blog post that also unveiled several other new camera features, including movie-themed masks that lay on top of photos.
Facebook Stories, which will roll out to users in the coming weeks, will allow users to string together several photos and videos that friends can view for up to 24 hours. Last August, Instagram launched a feature similar to what Snapchat popularized in 2013. It quickly caught on and had 150 million daily active users (nearly the same number of daily users on Snapchat) by January.
Facebook began testing Stories in Ireland in January.
“We want to make it fast, fun and easy for people to share creative photos and videos with whomever they choose, for however long they choose — and the more we share with each other, the more open and connected we can be,” Facebook product manager Connor Hayes wrote in the post.
Facebook also announced that this week users will have access to a new in-app camera that will feature filters, masks and other interactive features. The social network has partnered with the studios behind Despicable Me 3, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Power Rangers, Wonder Woman and other films to create masks that can be placed over a person’s face within the camera.
There’s also a new direct messaging feature that will give users the ability to privately send photos and videos that disappear after a limited time.
