Facebook announced on Wednesday to have bought MSQRD, a filter app that gives animated and playful filters for its users' photos. The social network giant added the photo app in its arsenal to take on Snapchat, which has acquired similar photo filter app.
Photo and video messaging application Snapchat aquired Looksery in September last year and integrated the filter into Snapchat. Looksery enable Snapchat's users to put animated filters to their photos.
Months after Snapchat's acquisition of Looksery, Facebook followed by acquiring Masquerade, the company that build MSQRD photo filter app. Tech Crunch quoted spokespoerson for Facebook, "Masquerade has built a fantastic app, MSQRD, with world-class imaging technology for video. We're excited to welcome Masquerade to our team and continue enhancing the Facebook video experience."
The Verge reported that Masquerade said in its blog post that the company was "excited to join Facebook" and ready to bring its technology to Facebook's users. Although Masquerade now has belong to Facebook, but its MSQRD app will continue to continue as a standalone app in iOS AppStore and Android's Google Play.
Facebook has putting big effort to match Snapchat by enhancing its video features. The social network giant has added video editing tools to enable users adding stickers and texts. Last week, Facebook also connected its video features to virtual reality headset Samsung Gear VR.
Both parties have not disclosed the amount of the deal of Facebook acquisition to the Belarus-based company. However, this made Facebook on an equal level with its rival Snapchat in the world of messaging app.
As for now, Snapchat has a smaller number of users compared to Facebook's 1.6 billion of daily users. Snapchat has only a 100 miliion daily users. However, as CNET reported, Snapchat has grown big in the past year due to its expanded partnerships with media companies, sports leagues and other purveyors of live events.
As for now, Facebook has three messaging apps in its sleeves: Facebook Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp. However, its serious contender, Snapchat has gained a huge popularity among the milennials age group. According to survey by Pew Research in April 2015, Snapchat was the third-most-used app among the 13-to-17 years old, while Facebook still hold the number one position.
Previously, in 2013, Facebook has noticed the Snapchat's potential in the video messaging app. The Menlo Park, California-based company has offered to acquire Snapchat for $3 billion, which was rejected by Snapchat.
The competition in messaging app between Facebook and Snapchat is getting more interesting. As Facebook now has bought MSQRD to match Snapchat in animated filter. The winner will be determined by which company is in favor of the milennial age group.
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