When Facebook failed to acquire Snapchat, it made sure that it will not let Snapchat acquire a substantial market share. In its hope to quash Snapchat, Facebook has not limited itself to a fair playing field, though not illegal.
In its attempt of copying what Snapchat does best, Facebook took its rival's one of the best features, 'Streaks', launched it on its own platform and repackaged to its users.
Facebook Ripoff Snapchat-Style Messenger 'Streaks' Feature
Snapchat's 'Streaks' feature can keep users busy on the app screen. Any user of Snapchat will tell how addictive it can get. Users, when hooked to it, will chat back and forth for consecutive days.
Now, Facebook has launched a similar feature to its own Messenger. Facebook couldn't let this feature go, no matter who first released it. Snapchat must be watching closely.
Facebook has already confirmed the news that it's testing something similar to 'Streaks' on Messenger.
"For example, a lightning bolt may appear next to the name of a person you've messaged with for at least three days in a row, and a counter will indicate how many consecutive days in a row, and a counter will indicate how many consecutive days you've been chatting," says Facebook Messenger spokesperson.
Facebook would want to increase its Messenger app's interactivity with its users. 'Streaks', it seems, is a good opportunity to achieve this target. It bugs the user on how many time in a day they have chatted with another person and encourages the users to continue doing it or else lose the 'streaks'.
Bugging users with annoying 'streaks' should be a concern, but it seems that it works for Snapchat, then why not Facebook? It is positioning it as a feature which lets users see "fun facts" about their friends. However, the naming of the feature gave it all away, as to what Facebook is doing, simply copying Snapchat, yet again.
Facebook Messenger is way ahead in its game, and it lets no streak of opportunity slip away. Already, it has a massive user base of 1.3 billion users and touted to reach 1.5 billion soon. To stay as the leader in this game of messaging, Facebook constantly revises and even copies its best competitor — Snapchat.
