Facebook Continues Copying Snapchat by Testing Out 'Stories' Update in Ireland - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Facebook Continues Copying Snapchat by Testing Out 'Stories' Update in Ireland

by

After copying Snapchat inside of Instagram with last year's "Instagram Stories" update, Business Insider today learned that Facebook is gearing up to launch the exact same feature in its mainline Facebook mobile app. Now called "Facebook Stories," the social media company is bringing over the same circular user interface to its main app for users in a small test in Ireland, letting them post images and videos that automatically disappear after 24 hours.

Facebook Stories appear at the top of the Facebook app, similar to where Instagram Stories have received top billing in the photo-sharing app. The new feature is said to work "identically" to Instagram's update, so users can snap a picture or video, edit it with a few filter and sticker options, and friends can tap through each post within the day it gets posted.

facebook-stories
Facebook has been focusing on its photo and video features in its iOS app for a while now, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg last year saying that the company plans to launch a camera-first experience that changes status updates from simple written posts to dynamic photos and videos. Through selfie filter tests, holiday updates, and live-streaming add-ons, the company has already begun to make progress towards launching a fully-featured, photo-centric update to the main Facebook app.

After directly becoming a competitor to Snapchat with Instagram Stories, Instagram reported the gain of 100 million users in the second half of 2016. For now, Facebook Stories remains a test of its own in Ireland, but the "new format" will be arriving in more countries in the coming months, according to a Facebook spokesperson.

Top Rated Comments

TMRJIJ Avatar
121 months ago
Facebook is trying too hard. They are irrelevant to millennials now. We left because of the stupid ads, old people, and Pages full of click bait crap.


Attachment Image
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
121 months ago
Facebook, Google, Samsung

What do these companies have in common?
Bloat?

They all lack innovation and like to "use" others ideas, designs and the like. No innovation at all from any of them.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ike1707 Avatar
121 months ago
There are only alternative facts.:rolleyes:
and they're yuuuge
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69Mustang Avatar
121 months ago
Facebook, Google, Samsung

What do these companies have in common?
Success despite certain Apple fans wanting them to fail? :)
[doublepost=1485368022][/doublepost]
This is going to be great for people who love to post fake news. Now nobody will be accountable because it will just disappear after a day! This is the future we are building for ourselves.
Fake news? There is no such thing. There are only alternative facts.:rolleyes:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghost187 Avatar
121 months ago
Macrumors please axe the new advertisement animation. There is way too much scrolling involved.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
121 months ago
Success despite certain Apple fans wanting them to fail? :)
[doublepost=1485368022][/doublepost]
Fake news? There is no such thing. There are only alternative facts.:rolleyes:
Yeah, and I mean really—an alternative fact is just a fact that people don't like. All facts are up for debate, unless it's a climate fact, in which case you're gag ordered from ever talking about it. I'm getting word of a new fact just coming in: there is no gag order. I was mistaken. Also, Supreme Leader has the biggest crowds ever, so YUGE you could barely fit anyone so most people stayed home. There was a massive blizzard on Inauguration Day which didn't help. Probably global cooling which is becoming a problem. I can't wait to post this to my story.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Instagram Feature 2

PSA: Instagram Encrypted Messaging Ends on Friday, May 8

Tuesday May 5, 2026 8:24 am PDT by
Instagram will remove end-to-end encryption for direct messages between users from May 8, 2026. When the date comes around, Meta will potentially be able to see the contents of all messages between users on the social media platform. Encrypting messages has been an optional feature in Instagram since 2023, but in March of this year the social media platform quietly updated a help page to say ...
Instagram Feature 1

Warning: Instagram DMs Lose End-to-End Encryption Starting Today

Friday May 8, 2026 12:37 pm PDT by
As of today, end-to-end encryption for Instagram direct messages is no longer available. DMs that you send to people on Instagram will no longer feature full encryption, and your conversations are not protected from Meta. Meta can potentially see what's in messages shared between users on Instagram, and that information can be shared with law enforcement agencies worldwide. End-to-end...
Apple Event Logo

Apple's Next Era Begins September 1

Thursday May 7, 2026 10:36 am PDT by
Apple recently announced that Tim Cook will be stepping down as CEO later this year, after 15 years of leading the company. Effective September 1, Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus will become the company's next CEO, while Cook will become executive chairman of Apple's board of directors. In his new role, Apple said Cook will assist with "certain aspects" of the company,...