Facebook launches Snapchat Stories-style Messenger Day with disappearing photos

Facebook has launched Messenger Day, its own spin on the slideshow-based ‘Stories’ feature made popular by rival firm Snapchat.

Like Snapchat, the new feature, which is embedded into Facebook’s chat app, uses disappearing photos and video that vanish after 24 hours.

Snapchat ran into trouble this week for creating a filter to celebrate International Women’s Day that inexplicably added “fluttery eyelashes and make-up” to the user as part of the Marie Curie filter.

To fire up the new Day feature, users simply tap on the camera highlighted icon in Messenger, which opens up the full-screen camera. Alternatively, they can tap the ‘Add to your day’ button at the top of their inbox.

They can then snap a selfie or take another photo or video and customise it with effects by tapping the smiley face icon in the top right. Text can also be added by tapping the Aa icon.

There are more than 5,000 frames, effects and stickers to choose from.

Once the photo or video is complete, tapping the arrow in the bottom right corner will either add the photo to the user’s Day, save it to their camera roll, or send it to a specific person or group of people. Any photos and videos will then disappear after 24 hours.

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“You’re always in control of who can see your day — share it with everyone, or choose specific friends and family members on Messenger,” said Stan Chudnovsky, Facebook’s Head of Product for Messenger in a blog post.

Users can also add to their Day from a conversation with a friend of group chat.

After being tested in a handful of countries including Australia, the feature is now be rolled out globally on iOS and Android devices as well as on the desktop version of Messenger.