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Facebook reportedly building Snapchat-like app called Slingshot

Facebook's Poke app might have failed, but that hasn't stopped the company's ambitions for the self-destructing messaging segment.

By Ananth Baliga
Facebook is expected to launch a new self-destruct image and video messaging app called Slingshot this month. UPI/Terry Schmitt
Facebook is expected to launch a new self-destruct image and video messaging app called Slingshot this month. UPI/Terry Schmitt | License Photo

MENLO PARK, Calif., May 19 (UPI) -- Facebook is reportedly developing a video-messaging app similar to Snapchat, which is being called internally Slingshot.

A report from the Financial Times suggests that Facebook has been working on the app for a couple of months and could launch it sometime this month. The app will concentrate on images and videos, much like what Snapchat does with pictures and videos.

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Slingshot will allow users to create images and videos and send them back and forth. The interface allegedly has a grid of a user's friends' profile pictures, which a user can tap to send a quick image or hold longer to record a short video.

It is unclear whether these videos will self-destruct after a set amount of time, as Financial Times' source did not address that functionality.

Facebook seems to be replacing its Poke app, which was killed off earlier this month. The Poke app was very similar to Snapchat, as it let users send a message, photo, or video with set time limits to a Facebook friend. So it seems like the social media giant is trying again to create a possibly self-destructing messaging app.

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Messaging apps have been generating a lot of buzz in the last few months. Facebook acquired messaging app WhatsApp for $19 billion. Snapchat unveiled text messaging as well video chats in the latest update to its app and Yahoo purchased Snapchat-like app Blink last week.

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