For those unfamiliar with Snapchat (I know, teens everywhere balk at the possibility), it is a social app that lets you communicate by sharing videos, photos and messages with people you decide. So far it sounds like a normal messaging app.
But when you hear impressive statistics like the fact that it was launched in 2011 and is now the 2nd messaging app after Facebook and its biggest competitor, with an increase from 2 billion videos and photos/day sent by its users at the beginning of 2015 (May) to 6 billion/day in November 2015 and that the company is currently worth between 10 to 20 billion $, you have to wonder why all the excitement?
Well, because Snapchat’s core concept is an interesting twist. The app only saves the videos, photos or texts for a short time, after which it deletes them, including from its servers, according to creators Bobby Murphy, Reggie Brown and Evan Spiegel.
This concept is what is currently called temporary messages, ephemeral messages, disappearing messages or temporized messages, depending on who you ask. And users of Snapchat can decide the time limit themselves, which is currently between 1 and 10 seconds.
Murphy, Brown and Spiegel say the philosophy behind this form of communication is to give users the possibility of eliminating the stress of social media data being stored online (like photos which are very appropriate among friends but not so appropriate in formal contexts etc.), to give them the option to have a form of social media where they are in control.
And judging by the stats above, this philosophy was very appealing to many. Including to Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, who saw the potential (and threat) and offered to buy Snapchat for 3 billion $ in 2013 at a time when Snapchat was valued somewhere around 2 million $.
Snapchat CEO Spiegel refused, to the shock of everyone watching back then and was since proven right by the company’s soaring value, way past the 3 billion $ offered.
But this has apparently set the stage for a direct battle with Facebook, who clearly feels it has to take measures against its now threatening competitor.
Which Mark Zuckerberg has recently just done. Because he has announced that Facebook is currently testing a disappearing messages option for its Messenger app for all of its users in France, intended to launch in all countries at a later time, but with no exact schedule having been mentioned.
The Facebook version for temporary messages is designed with a minimum 1 hour time-frame in mind (meaning that the messages delete themselves automatically after this time or more, according to choice) and any person in the conversation can opt for this feature.
Facebook, as the number one position holder, has clearly demonstrated its appeal. And with this new feature it might increase it considerably.
But should Snapchat beware Facebook Temporary Messages arrival? Time will tell.
Image source: 1.