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China's WeChat is mimicking Snapchat Stories, too
Snap just can't catch a break from companies imitating its signature Stories feature in their apps. WeChat, the Chinese social app giant, has introduced a Time Capsule feature whose disappearing videos will seem uncannily familiar if you've used Snapchat... or Instagram, for that matter. You can't find them in a dedicated section, but the basic concept remains: you can record a short (15-second) clip that your friends and group chat participants can watch within 24 hours.
Ads in Instagram Stories are about to get worse
More ads are coming to Instagram. This time, the photo-minded social network is upping the amount brands can put into Stories. Now, instead of one photo or video in an advertiser's Story, there can be up to three. Coca-Cola, movie studio Paramount and Gap clothing are working with the new tools, but the social network says more brands will have the functionality soon enough. If you're trying to get through your friends' Stories quickly, this will probably prove annoying. But, you can always back out to the main feed and tap on each friend to see their evaporating photos and video instead of letting everything auto-play.
Even Skype is copying Snapchat
Despite its smaller-than-expected user-base, everyone keeps trying to ape Snapchat. The latest in that trend is none other than Skype. Yes, the VOIP and chat app is trying its hand at being an ephemeral social network. Microsoft is calling its Stories clone "Highlights," and the posting process sounds really similar to Snapchat. From the main screen, swipe to access the camera to capture a photo or video. Once posted, the people in your network can comment with emoticon reactions or text. Oh, right: Texts within the app now support emoji reactions and colored banners. Skype's other effort to be all things to all people includes built-in chatbots and a colorful redesign. Sure!
Disappearing videos are coming to a Bumble profile near you
The next way dating app Bumble is separating itself from Tinder is video. If you're familiar with Snapchat Stories or Instagram's ephemeral offerings, BumbleVID should sound be pretty recognizable. Users can make a story out of an unlimited amount of ten-second video clips from within the app. Anyone swiping past your profile can see them and after 24 hours, they disappear.
Facebook isn't done trying to copy Snapchat
Facebook's Snapchat-alike Messenger Day app has expanded to a new test ground: The Land Down Under. "We know that people come to Messenger to share everyday moments with friends and family," a spokesperson told TechCrunch. "In Australia we are running a small test of new ways for people to share those updates visually."
Snapchat CEO posts a grainy video explaining how his app works
Snapchat may be four years old and raking in tons of investment money, but that isn't stopping the messaging service from acting like a basement-based startup from 2007. The company has posted a an extra low-quality (240p!), obviously handheld video where CEO Evan Spiegel explains his app's functionality and popularity using little more than hand-drawn sketches. The lack of production values is frankly baffling (splurge on a camcorder and a tripod, Mr. Spiegel, you've earned it). However, this grainy clip is at least insightful -- you'll find out why Snapchat relies on a swipe-driven interface, why the younger crowd likes the service so much and why the Stories feature is so important. We've reached out to Snapchat to unravel the mystery behind this footage, but it's still worth watching even without the missing context.
Snapchat for iOS switches cameras with a double-tap
If you're recording a Snapchat clip on your iPhone, it's now much easier to show friends both your handsome face and whatever you're looking at. The video messaging service has updated its iOS app with a feature that switches between the front and rear cameras with a double-tap of the screen. Snapchat is also tackling some of its security woes by optionally sending an SMS code to make sure that it's really you signing in. There's no mention of a corresponding Android upgrade, but it's easy to see that coming soon. [Image credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images]
Snapchat is getting a Sofia Vergara video series
If you ask Fusion, Snapchat's Discover portal isn't just for keeping up with daily events -- it's also about following the lives of the Hollywood elite. The media company is launching a six-episode Snapchat series this summer that covers Modern Family star Sofia Vergara's career from the viewpoint of her son Manolo. Vergaraland, as it's called, will shoot vertically to match Snapchat's signature format. You might not necessarily be enthralled by the idea, but it shows that Discover is big enough that TV celebs and bigger video outlets are taking notice. [Image credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP]
Snapchat alternatives (and their users) vanish from Windows Phone
Snapchat warned that it was clamping down on third-party apps to prevent sketchier examples from compromising your security, and it appears to be making good on its word -- much to the chagrin of Windows Phone users, who haven't had an official Snapchat option so far. Windows Central notes that 6snap and other titles that replicated the disappearing message service have abruptly vanished from the Windows Phone Store. Moreover, some users say that Snapchat is following through on warnings that it would permanently lock the accounts of those who kept using unofficial software. If you're in that boat, you now have to start fresh if you want to chat with friends.
BBM now lets you set a Snapchat-style time limit for messages
BlackBerry isn't shy about borrowing features to keep BBM relevant in the messaging world; it added stickers to challenge WhatsApp, and now it's taking a page from Snapchat's book. The latest version of BBM introduces a timed messaging feature that lets you determine when messages and photos expire, so you don't have to worry that spies (or just nosy friends) will see what you said. To top it off, you can also retract messages outright -- you won't have to worry about accidentally sexting your boss so long as you delete the evidence in time. The privacy-minded upgrade probably won't get you to switch to BBM by itself, but it may be worth a look if you've wanted a slightly more sophisticated take on disappearing chat services.
Skype Qik lets you swap short video messages with your friends
Skype may be one of the better-known options for video messaging, but it doesn't hold a candle to a services like Snapchat if you just want simple, back-and-forth discussions. The Skype team isn't taking this competition lying down, though -- it just rolled out Skype Qik, its own take on rapid-fire video delivery. The mobile-only app is focused solely on swapping short clips (up to 42 seconds; yes, it's a nod to Hitchhiker's Guide) as part of conversations with your phone contacts. In theory, it's just what you need to coordinate a night out or catch up with pals who are rarely available at the same time. All messages vanish after two weeks to help protect your privacy, and you can pre-record "Qik Fliks" to use when you're either too busy or just want to reply with your favorite internet meme.
Snapchat's evaporating news feed is getting ads 'soon'
Those sponsored stories on Snapchat were apparently just the beginning. At Vanity Fair's New Establishment Summit today, the ephemeral messaging app's founder Evan Spiegel said that ads are en route "soon." Those ads will be based around the Story section of the application that provides a platform for evaporating recaps of whatever you choose. "We're cutting through the new technology around ads to the core of it, which is telling a story," Spiegel (above) told moderator Katie Couric. Ads seem like a natural progression for any social network, so users shouldn't exactly be surprised by this -- after all, you gotta keep those ghosts employed somehow. [Image credit: Getty Images for Vanity Fair]
With Tiiny, your incriminating pics and videos disappear after 24 hours
What if you didn't have to worry about people seeing that picture or video you post after 24 hours? That's just what Tiiny, the latest effort from Digg co-founder Kevin Rose, offers: disappearing thumbnail-sized images and vids in a constantly refreshing grid. Snapshots and footage from your pals appear there and they can't be resized to judge fine details. In theory, this means that you'll be a lot more forthcoming about your activities since there's a lack of permanence and reduced pressure to add the proper filters. So, in addition to the ephemeral nature that the likes of Snapchat and others offer, there's the compact stature, too. There's also a Popular page, so you can see what's getting the most love across all Tiiny users. If you're looking to give it a shot, the iOS app is available now.
Facebook's Snapchat competitor appears then disappears quickly, just like its messages
The rumors are true: Facebook has indeed been working on a Snapchat competitor called Slingshot, and true to its ephemeral nature, it showed up ever so briefly on the App Store today before it was taken down. Prior to that though, we managed to glean enough information from the app description to get a few hints as to how it works. Similar to Snapchat, you can send photos and videos to friends, and once they view them, those messages will disappear. You're even able to add captions and scribblings on them just like Snapchat. But the key differentiator between Slingshot and other ephemeral messaging apps is that before your friends can see your missives, they must reciprocate and "sling" something back. After receiving your message, they can either tap to react to it or swipe it to remove it for good.
