Facebook has announced a significant update to its camera which offers users a range of effects as well as two additional ways to share the photos and videos they take.
The new camera effects allow users to tap on the camera icon on the top left corner of the Facebook app or swipe right from News Feed to try out the new in-app camera.
The Facebook camera has a range of effects like masks, frames and interactive filters that users can apply to their photos and videos.
Reactive effects have also been added to let users interact with dynamic objects like falling snow, as well as an artistic filter to let users turn their everyday selfie into a Picasso-style work of art.
As part of this update, Facebook is partnering with brands to create masks for upcoming movies, with Alien: Covenant, Despicable Me 3, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Power Rangers, Smurfs: The Lost Village, and Wonder Woman already slated.
Facebook is also including guest art from visual artists like Douglas Coupland and Hattie Stewart, who will create in the camera to give users new effects to explore.
Furthermore, Stories will be launching in the main Facebook app, meaning that users can share multiple photos and videos as part of a visual collection atop News Feed.
Users’ friends can view photos or videos their story for 24 hours, and stories won’t appear on their Timeline or in News Feed unless users post them there.
Finally, Direct will be an additional option for sharing individual photos and videos with specific friends for a limited time on Facebook.
When users send a photo or video via Direct, their friends will be able to view it once and replay it or write a reply. Once the conversation on the photo or video ends, the content is no longer visible in Direct.
Over the coming months, Facebook plans to introduce new ways for users to create their own frames and effects that can be used on any photo or video created with the new Facebook camera.
