Meta Platforms Inc. is planning services that appear to be remarkably similar to BeReal and Twitter, continuing a pattern of cloning social-media competitors' services.
Meta is testing a function that lets users share photos from their front and back cameras at the same time, and is rolling out text-based status updates.
Meta, +4.74%, the parent company of Facebook, is testing Candid Stories, a feature that prompts Instagram users every day to share a photo taken with both their front- and back-facing cameras. If the feature sounds familiar, you are right:
BeReal's app based on that feature, which caters to a desire for more open sharing, has seen a rise in popularity, especially among younger users.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Instagram was testing this feature in South Africa, and that the company had not yet specified when or if it intended to expand the availability of Candid Stories. In addition, the story emphasized that, in contrast to BeReal, Instagram will permit users to annotate posts "with text or squiggles."
In a blog post outlining the new features, Meta stated, "During testing, we learned that people liked having a lightweight, easy way to share what's on their mind and start conversations." People can use Notes to express themselves and connect with one another in a casual and spontaneous way, from asking for recommendations to share what they're up to.
Naturally, a feature of the platform that Twitter possesses is the capacity to share brief text posts that have the potential to spark discussion.
Notes "will begin rolling out to all users," according to the Wall Street Journal.
Meta is well-known for imitating TikTok with its short-form Reels product and copying the Stories feature from Snap Inc.'s SNAP, -0-53% Snapchat. The technique has taken care of in numerous ways.
While the Stories format was first introduced to the world by Snapchat, it is now extremely popular on Instagram. Even though effective monetization of Reels remains a work in progress, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg stated on the company's most recent earnings call that users across Facebook and Instagram were playing more than 140 billion Reels a day, an increase of fifty percent from six months earlier. The company has also been pushing the Reels format after seeing how captivating short-form video proved to be on TikTok
The organization might make some harder memories having Twitter's lunch with the new Notes, since Twitter is genuinely very much settled in and has worked out broad usefulness for text-based status sharing. However, due to the fact that many users may not even be aware that BeReal exists, the Candid Stories feature on Meta and Instagram, which both have large user bases, may see some decent adoption upon a broader rollout.
However, Meta's decision to follow other platforms' trends rather than leading the conversation about social media preferences may not be a good sign for the company's innovative capabilities.
Even though the change comes somewhat late, it appears that Meta is leveraging its strengths in a different area through its feature enhancements. Meta intends to bring the group atmosphere to Instagram, as Facebook continues to be a hub for group activity. It hinted at the upcoming launch of Group Profiles, which will allow users to post content to a dedicated hub. "Whenever you share content to a Group Profile, that content will only be shared to group members rather than your followers, and will be posted on the Group Profile instead of your own," Meta wrote on a blog post, noting that the feature would be available "soon."
Tuesday midday saw a 4-7% increase in Meta shares. Marco Rubio and two of his House colleagues have introduced bills to ban TikTok in the United States. It is unknown whether those efforts will gain broader traction, but the company may be one step closer to receiving assistance in dealing with one of its competitive pressures
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