Barely six months later when it was launched, Slingshot gets makeover to allow smoother sharing between users. Facebook had initially wanted the app to compete against Snapchat. However, Slingshot would normally require a user to reply with a photo or video in order to see the one that was sent by a friend. This feature is one of the Facebook Creative Labs' early releases as part of the experimental phase in mobile app design.
Eventually, Facebook learned that the feature does not promote frictionless sharing and has decided to reinvent the app by removing the restriction. From being a Snapchat-clone app, Slingshot has now become an authentic photo messaging app with Instagram-inspired filters.
In the redesigned app, users can easily send looping videos and full-screen images in a matter of two taps. They can also choose from five filters, add captions and drawings, and show their reaction by sending a shot.
"You can now filter, draw on and caption reactions for more personal and creative conversations. Also, just like with the regular camera, you can now preview reactions before sending," said Slingshot in a blog post.
Just like Snapchat, users can keep a reel of photos and videos which remain unswiped within 24 hours. They can easily see the content that they have sent or received after pulling down the camera which is pretty much similar with Snapchat's 'My Story.' Users can share their photos to other social media sites such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
"Every time you pull down the camera you'll see a grid of the most recent content from the past day - shots only stick around for 24 hours or until they're swiped away. We've also made it easier than ever to move between shots, reactions, people and the camera with our new swipeable tab design," said Slingshot.
The team from the Creative Labs also added a feature that will allow users to learn about other users who they can follow. Follower requests can be approved manually and special notifications can be set for a particular group of friends.
"You can always choose to manually approve each follower request if that's your jam. Also, turn on instant notifications for your favorite people to get notified whenever they sling a shot," added Slingshot.
The redesigned Slingshot is now available on Jelly Bean, KitKat and Lollipop versions of Android and iOS7 and higher versions of the iPhone.
