After Facebook has failed to join (buy) Snapchat, they’re determined to beat them with the launch of their second Snapchat-like app, dubbed Slingshot, as stated by the Financial Times.
Slingshot will allow the users to take short video messages and send them to friends. The service is an entirely separate entity to Facebook itself, so messages can only be sent to friends who also have the Slingshot app – similarly to how Poke was.
Also See: Facebook put an end to Poking and its Camera App
Facebook’s first app Poke, first launched in 2012, had the same name as an already existing Facebook feature but was not linked in any way. The app was then pulled from the App store after failing to attract significant numbers to make it worthwhile keeping. This happened after years of it being left dormant and forgotten on the App store.
Facebook tried to purchase Snapchat late last year for $3 billion, but the proposal was rejected, seemingly leaving Facebook to create their own similar app from scratch shortly after.
Also See: Facebook Messenger to be removed from the Facebook App
Although the app is fully developed and said to be ready to ship, the launch hasn’t yet been approved by Facebook. Without their approval it may never actually be released on the market.