Facebook has launched a photo-messaging app one week after accidentally releasing it on Apple’s app store.<\/p>\n
Known as Slingshot, the app’s features include sharing photos and videos with friends and sending “reaction shots”.<\/p>\n
It uses an unlocking mechanism, whereby photos received from friends must be unlocked by “slinging” a different photo back to the original sender.<\/p>\n
Like Snapchat, all images are deleted once sent and users can scribble or type over their photos.<\/p>\n
On the\u00a0social media page<\/a>\u00a0for the app, the creators said: “With Slingshot, we wanted to build something where everybody is a creator and nobody is just a spectator.<\/p>\n “When everyone participates, there’s less pressure, more creativity and even the little things in life can turn into awesome shared experiences.”<\/p>\n The app is developed by Facebook’s Creative Labs division, which has been tasked with creating new and innovative products.<\/p>\n Slingshot users do not need to have a Facebook account to sign up for the photo-messaging app. They can access the app with their mobile phone number and connect with friends in their phone’s contact list, or they can connect via their Facebook friends’ list.<\/p>\n Snapchat competitor?<\/strong><\/p>\n The Slingshot launch comes as Facebook is trying to fight off threats from other social networking agents, which also contain messaging and photo-sharing tools.<\/p>\n In addition to developing its own apps, Facebook has also been on an acquisition spree.<\/p>\n In 2012 Facebook bought photo-sharing network Instagram for $1bn (\u00a3589m).<\/p>\n A year later, it was reported that Snapchat rejected a $3bn bid from Facebook, revealing the social media giant’s apparent continued and serious interest in photo-messaging services.<\/p>\n Previously Facebook attempted and failed to create a successful image-messaging app called Poke, which was recently abandoned and had been described by some as a “blatant copycat app<\/a>.”<\/p>\n However, unlike Poke, Slingshot has a number of unique features not found in rivals such as Snapchat, which could help it distinguish itself.<\/p>\n In addition to the unlock requirement, Slingshot features a “select all” function, which allows people to send a picture to all their contacts at the same time.<\/p>\n As the Verge news site notes, Snapchat\u00a0has deliberately avoided offering such a facility<\/a>\u00a0to avoid its users becoming overwhelmed with alerts.<\/p>\n Another similar app and potential rival is\u00a0Taptalk<\/a>, which isreportedly admired<\/a>\u00a0among some Facebook engineers.<\/p>\n Taptalk provides a comparatively minimalist and simplified approach to image messaging, allowing users to send personal pictures or videos by tapping or holding their friend’s profile picture.<\/p>\n