Facebook has launched its much talked about app Slingshot for Android and iOS users. The app is a rival to popular mobile messaging app Snapchat, which allows people’s messages to self destruct after a fixed period of time. Many have taken Facebook’s step as revenge on Snapchat for rebuking the company’s earlier $3 billion buyout offer.
Slingshot is currently available on Android and iOS for users from the United States. In addition, users do not need to have a Facebook account in order to access Slingshot. They can access it using either their Facebook account or mobile number. The app was earlier accidentally launched on Apple’s App Store, only to be removed soon.
Once you have signed up, the app adds your contacts based on your Facebook friend list or phone contacts. The app has two buttons — shoot and selfie. Shoot allows you to take a picture, while the selfie button is self explanatory. Users can also write a 140 character message on the photo or draw a picture on it. This can then be sent to your chosen contacts from Slingshot.
The difference here though is that on Snapchat, one can view a photo sent to them by tapping on it and holding the finger down till it disappears. Slingshot though allows users to see a message only if you’re going to send one back to the sender. Till then, the app will show you only a pixelated preview of the photo.
Further, Slingshot also doesn’t have a time limit on when a message will disappear. Users can flick images to the side when they are done with them. Doing this will destroy the images/messages. This is pretty similar to the dating app Tinder. Snapchat on the other hand destroys images automatically after a few seconds.
