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Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?
Well, CEO Mark Zuckerberg seems to think it is. Facebook has announced its launch of another Snapchat-inspired design, but this time it’s a standalone picture and video-messaging app, complete with augmented reality filters. The new app Flash seems to be a clone of Snapchat’s design, but takes up less than 25MB of space on an Android phone. According to Facebook, Flash is about one-third the size of Snapchat and is an Android-first app, with no indication of an iOS release date yet.
It’s no secret Facebook has been trying to beat Snapchat by cloning the popular app’s features, such as Instagram’s Stories feature, or even by its attempts to buy its rivals outright. Facebook has a record of 12 Snapchat clone attempts to date. From stand-alone apps to cameras with AR lenses, from its clone of Snapchat Stories to attempted acquisitions; Facebook has shown to be very persistent. So is the 13th time the charm? More than likely this probably will not be the last time Facebook tries to crack the code to bring users back to its apps. However, Facebook has already had huge success with its record of 100 million daily users since Instagram Stories was released, proving Facebook is on the right track to a winning formula.
Facebook has released the new app Flash in the Brazilian Play Store in hopes that the unreliable Wi-Fi access, stringent data caps, and underpowered smartphones will give them a step up against Snapchat in another country. Regardless, Facebook is determined to beat Snapchat in the race to become the number one app in all markets.