After an initial launch in the U.S last week Facebook’s answer to Snapchat has just launched worldwide for Apple iPhones and Android-based smartphones.
Just like the originator, imitator Slingshot allows users to fling temporarily viewable photos (including ‘selfies’) and short bursts of video between pals and allows pictures to be edited with captions or scribbled drawings and once the image is viewed you won’t get a second chance to see it.
So yeah, it’s pretty much Snapchat. But in a twist Slingshot forces you to give a little before you get a little, and to view pics from mates you need to ‘unlock’ them by offering a photo to the sender in return. Also whereas Snapchat allows you to send snaps to individuals or everybody, Slingshot is focused mostly on getting you to share with a larger audience of selected friends.
Aside from being created by the Facebook development team Slingshot features none of the company branding so if you’re not a Facebook user (and don’t want to be) you won’t need to be tied to a Facebook account to use the app. But oddly enough, nor does it sync with your Friends List if you are a Facebook users and the app relies on your mobile number to seek out contacts on your phone that might also be using the app rather than sourcing them from the our existing connections on the social web.
Considering many of us have more contacts in the virtual world of Facebook than we do on our mobiles, and bearing in mind the Sligshot app is now available and active worldwide, this seems a bit weird. But then we remember how weird some of our friends on Facebook are and it kind of makes sense.
Facebook’s Slingshot (which doesn’t resemble or reference Facebook) is available now on the App Store and Google Play.