The deluge of stories revolving around Facebook copying Snapchat might hit a zenith today as the social media company begins to launch "Facebook Stories" worldwide, this time in the main Facebook app for iOS devices (via TechCrunch). Previously, Facebook created a facsimile of Snapchat's day-long, vanishing post idea in Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram, which gained 100 million users following the Snapchat-like update last year.

facebook stories
The idea is identical in Facebook Stories, where users will now be able to post a photo or video through a new UI at the top of the Facebook mobile app. Their friends can see the post over the next 24 hours and reply to it within Facebook Messenger. Continuing the trend, last week that app launched "Messenger Day" for users to create the exact same disappearing posts, but centered on creating plans with friends. Facebook originally tested out Facebook Stories in Ireland.

[Update 3/16]: Facebook has contacted MacRumors with a correction, stating that some misinformation has been floating around online and the company is "not rolling this out globally yet." The company mentioned that it is "still testing it in a few countries -- most recently, Chile, Vietnam and Greece as of yesterday," but it has "no global rollout plans or timeline to share quite yet."

Top Rated Comments

Porco Avatar
113 months ago
Once upon a time, in the land of Zuck, the magical Book of Face collected all the peole's lives in one place.

"But it's so hard to get out of the Book of Face once you're in it!" cried the people.

Then King Zuck decreed that he would make a new, even more magical Book of Face where people's lives only appeared for a short time, then vanished. And it was not at all like the Chat of Snap.

"Why do our lives now vanish so quickly!" cried the people.

Eventually they reailsed that neither flavour of the Book of Face was actually good for them, so they left the Kingdom of Zuck and they all lived happily ever after.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thingstoponder Avatar
113 months ago
Why does Facebook want them all to be the same? I hate Facebook so much.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
5105973 Avatar
113 months ago
Oh great, once again the icons will be moving around in the Facebook app.

Every time I get used to the new position of an icon they move it. They certainly have never heard of consistency or user experience.
When I was dragged kicking and screaming into it about three or four years ago by friends and family it was tolerable for a year or two. By the time I washed my hands of the whole mess over the summer, it was a complete and utter mess to keep up with and navigate. And yes, it kept changing constantly so that I had to relearn my way around. It also got more forceful about trying to take my contacts and drag them into the same pit. Good riddance.

Some of the people who miss me are actually writing real letters to me again. There's a lot to be said for that, especially when some of your friends pass away and their handwritten letter is all you have left of them.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rodpascoe Avatar
113 months ago
Oh great, once again the icons will be moving around in the Facebook app.

Every time I get used to the new position of an icon they move it. They certainly have never heard of consistency or user experience.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smallcoffee Avatar
113 months ago
It should be illegal for social media sites to buy other social media sites. They are a positive feedback loop and once one gets too big it can buy any serious competitor and continue to entrench its market space. Facebook is already a monopoly. Nobody comes close.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nburwell Avatar
113 months ago
Facebook: "We couldn't buy Snapchat, so we'll make an identical feature within our smartphone apps."

Hard pass. I'll stick with Snapcat, guys.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...
apple tv hd

Apple Launched Its Big New Vision for TV 10 Years Ago Today

Thursday October 30, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple launched the Apple TV HD, the Siri Remote, tvOS, and their accompanying App Store a decade ago today, marking a major overhaul of the device. The new vision for the Apple TV was unveiled on September 9, 2015 during Apple's "Hey Siri" event in San Francisco, where CEO Tim Cook introduced the device with the statement, "The future of TV is apps." The announcement represented a major...