Facebook testing Snapchat-like camera feature in its app

Days after the social media giant introduced "Stories" format for its photo-sharing app Instagram that clones Snapchat's popular feature, the social media giant is now testing a Facebook app that opens to a camera, encouraging users to capture and share content.

This new version of the app that has Snapchat-like features not only encourages users to capture more photos and videos but also adorn them with filters and stickers, The Verge reported on Saturday.

"People are increasingly sharing via videos and photos -- on Facebook and beyond. It's our job to create experiences that help people create and share in the ways they want," the company was quoted as saying.

The test -- which began in Canada and Brazil on Friday -- incorporated, for the first time, the technology from Belarusian startup MSQRD -- a video effects app that the company acquired earlier this year to "continue enhancing the Facebook video experience".

As far as testing is concerned, participants in the test in Brazil covering Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will use the app.

Facebook product manager Sachin Monga, who will be testing the app in Canada, said that posting photos and videos using the app has been "super cumbersome" in the past.

"Something as simple as posting a picture of the Canadian flag has been a multi-step process. The test is designed to get people sharing more with few taps," he was quoted as saying.

According to the report, the Facebook flagship app opens to the News Feed as usual but in the field that asks "what's on your mind?", users will now see an open camera.

Tap it to open the camera in full screen mode and from there a user can take a picture or record a short video clip.

If users are using the front-facing camera, they can use one of MSQRD's augmented reality filters to take a more creative selfie, the report explained.

--IANS

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