Facebook launches Instagram-style Camera app - video
Published May 24 2012, 20:18 BST | By Andrew Laughlin
Facebook has today launched a new Camera app for Apple iOS devices, an Instagram-style service that allows people to shoot, filter and share multiple photos at the same time.The app was developed by Facebook's photos team without the assistance of Instagram, because Facebook's $1.1bn acquisition of the photo-sharing service has not yet closed.
In a blog post, Facebook's Dirk Stoop said that the new Camera app "makes using Facebook photos faster and easier".
"When you launch the app, you'll see a feed of just great photos from the people you care about," he said. "You can swipe to see more of any album or tap to enlarge an individual photo."
Users can also edit their photos with new tools for cropping, rotating and adding 14 Instagram-like filters to any pictures of the camera roll.
While Camera is not quite as clean or beautiful as Instagram, a strong differentiation point is multi-photo uploads, which is useful for people wanting to share multiple photos from a day out or an activity.
"Now you can quickly share multiple photos all at once instead of having to post one at a time," said Stoop.
"Just select the shots you want to share by tapping the check-mark on each photo and then hit post. You'll have a chance to add a caption, say where you were and tag friends before you share."
Camera is available now for the iPhone from the Apple App Store. Facebook has not yet indicated whether it is working on versions for other phone platforms, such as Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone.
The app is part of Facebook's strategy to better exploit the growing use of its service on mobile devices, following criticism that Mark Zuckerberg's firm has been slow to the mark.
Even after the Instagram acquisition is completed, Facebook has pledged to keep the photo app going as an independent business, and so it is anticipating some "healthy competition" with Camera.
A Facebook spokesman told TechCrunch: "We're committed to building and growing Instagram independently, so I anticipate some healthy competition."
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LAME - just get Camera+ (plus) it's only 69p and it's great - easy to use too :)
May 25th 2012 at 6:28pm
Facebook
Facebook Messenger
Facebook Camera
Can't we just have 1 bloody Facebook app that works correctly?
May 25th 2012 at 12:05pm(+3 likes)
No because Facebook Messenger and Facebook Camera work fine. Getting them all put into one app means they actually have to put some effort into the main app, which for some alluding reason, they seem to not want to do.
The Facebook app has never worked well, but they put other apps as priority over it? What?!
May 25th 2012 at 2:00pm
I guess they would rather the mobile apps were incomplete and rusty. They don't really generate a lot of revenue from them, if any at all, so there's no incentive to get them right. They'd rather people were using Facebook on their computers where they can make money.
May 25th 2012 at 5:06pm
MySpace had no incentive to improve their service when they were the #1 most visited website in the US, and then Facebook came along
Microsoft had no incentive to improve upon Internet Explorer 6 when they had over 90% of the market, and then Firefox came along.
Someone new will come along if they don't keep improving.
May 26th 2012 at 1:49pm
I don't get Instagram, I've tried it. All it does is make a great hi def pic on my HTC look like it was taken using a 5 year old mobile. If I wanted to do that, I'd buy an Apple 3GS! lol
May 25th 2012 at 3:06am(+6 likes)
Instagram makes it possible to publish your really awful photos... you should try it! Some things just SHOULDN'T be seen in hi def! >_<
May 25th 2012 at 9:30am
SweetRikki its called Camera - didn't you notice the Capitalization of the word above, eg
"While Camera is not quite as clean or beautiful as Instagram, a strong differentiation point is multi-photo uploads, which is useful for people wanting to share multiple photos from a day out or an activity."
May 24th 2012 at 11:14pm
It's called 'Facebook Camera' in the app store.
May 25th 2012 at 12:58am
Ok so u report on the app but what is it called?
May 24th 2012 at 9:03pm
Facebook Camera. Not available on Android in UK yet but think it's available on iOS
May 25th 2012 at 2:00pm