Facebook testing Snapchat-style Streaks feature in Messenger

midian182

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Facebook doesn’t try to hide the fact it loves copying Snapchat’s features. Whereas Twitter was once the social network’s main rival, the image messaging app that’s so popular with younger generations is now seen as the biggest competition, which could explain why Zuckerberg’s platforms “borrow” its ideas.

The latest feature Facebook is lifting from Snapchat is “Streaks.” Essentially, it gamifies Messenger by rewarding users for talking to each other. The feature shows how many consecutive days you’ve been messaging a person, encouraging you not to break the streak.

The Verge reports that as with Snapchat, you also get an emoji status for those you’re in a streak with.

The idea behind this, of course, is to keep people engaging with Messenger daily. While it seems like something that could appeal to younger crowds—some Snapchat users are obsessed with keeping their streaks going for hundreds of days at a time—news of its possible arrival hasn’t been warmly received by those on Twitter.

We still don’t know if this is one of Facebook’s limited tests that never get rolled out, or if plans are already in place for a full release. If it’s the latter, don’t be surprised to see it arrive on WhatsApp and Instagram, too.

Back in 2016, Facebook-owned Instagram introduced “Stories,” which allows users to post content that disappears after 24 hours. It’s almost identical to Snapchat’s version, right down to the name. The feature eventually made its way to Facebook and WhatsApp.

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If you're like me and you hate the new battery draining snapchat wannabe Facebook Messenger, use Messenger Lite instead. It's made by Facebook and meant for people with slow data connections (targeting developing countries), but it's also great for people who just want to chat with friends without the bloat. If it's unavailable to you in the Play Store, a quick Google search will find the latest APK to install.
 
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