Facebook Tests Snapchat-Like Messenger Day In Poland

Facebook has reportedly launched Messenger Day in Poland, enabling people to share illustrated photos that go away in 24 hours, taking a page from Snapchat.

According to a report by TechCrunch, Facebook said: “We know that people come to Messenger to share everyday moments with friends and family. In Poland, we are running a small test of new ways for people to share those updates visually. We have nothing more to announce at this time.” Facebook went on to say that it often runs small tests, but there’s no guarantee Messenger Day will expand beyond Poland. The report noted it may be a hard sell in the U.S and Canada because 60 million people already use Snapchat daily and promoting Messenger Day may anger them. In places where Snapchat isn’t popular, Facebook can experiment with Messenger Day without risking alienating customers, the report noted.

Messenger Day works very similarly to Snapchat Stories in that users have the ability to draw or add text to images. One innovation with Messenger Day is graphic filters that suggest what to share rather than just celebrating holidays and events or showing off a location with Snapchat’s geofilters. With the graphic filters, people can share images that are appealing even if they lack artistic skill or aren’t the most creative. For example, with the message “Let’s grab drinks,” it can be illustrated with beer mugs and bottles that cover the screen, TechCrunch noted.

This isn’t the first time Facebook has tried to combat the popularity of Snapchat with the younger generation. Earlier this year, it launched a new app aimed at under-21s. The new app, Lifestage, is a trendy iOS app that only the 21-and-younger age group can use and that Facebook hopes will snag some of Snapchat’s users. Users answer biographical questions about themselves by recording short video clips that others can view. The app harps back to Facebook when it first launched among college students who needed a .edu email address. This time, growth is expected in high schools rather than colleges. Users can select their school, but at least 20 people from that same school need to be active for any of them to be able to see others’ profiles. Anyone 22 or older will not be able to communicate with other users, but it is unclear how Facebook will stop older users from joining in. Facebook does claim to have blocking and reporting features to stop any unwanted activity. Even so, it does seem to be rather a lure for predators and an accident waiting to happen.