Facebook working on a Snapchat-like camera app again: Here's why

Facebook’s obsession with owning a Snapchat-like app has no end. After a failed attempt at acquiring Snapchat and a failed attempt at building Snapchat-like Slingshot , looks like the company is ready to give it a shot for the third time.

As we know, Zuckerberg has followed a different ball game all along, going strong on acquisitions. Facebook has acquired or at least attempted to acquire its potential competitors or future threats. Back in 2012, when Facebook bought Instagram, it was obvious that Facebook then associated with sharing images, didn’t want another app popular with teens snapping its users. The recent report claiming that Instagram could bring in $3.2 billion in revenue for Facebook in 2016 could probably vouch for it being one of the best moves by the company.

In late 2013, Whatsapp was next potential threat to Facebook. It was huge outside the US and slowly crawling its way into the US market. With 400 million active users and about 25 billion messages shared everyday back then, it was evidently the most preferred compared to group messaging services from Google and Facebook. People started using it to stay connected, make professional/businesses groups and more. Facebook, without wasting much time, snapped the service for a jaw-dropping $19 billion.

Fast forward to 2014 and Mary Meeker’s report showed how over 1.8 billion photos were uploaded and shared. How Snapchat and Instagram were way above Facebook and WhatsApp wasn’t too far low with those figures in just two years. Clearly, indicating why Facebook was so eager to snap up these apps.

But, aren’t things different today? Facebook’s growth has leaped forward by miles. Now, with WhatsApp and Instagram in tow, it is clearly leading in terms of photos. So, what’s probably compelling Facebook to still want a slice of the ephemeral app Snapchat. The answer could have been photos back then, but now it is clearly videos.

In March, Snapchat’s Evan Spiegel had revealed that Snapchat now gets over 8 billion views per day. But didn’t Facebook revealed to have doubled its video views late last year, with 8 billion views. We don’t know the most recent figures, which are definitely higher. But the catch is Snapchat gets those views for its roughly over 100 million daily users who spend an average of 25 to 30 minutes on the app each day. On the other hand, Facebook has a whopping 1.2 billion active users, which is a large number compared to Snapchat.

It clearly shows Facebook’s fascination for the ephemeral app, that it has set it heart on, for long now. Moreover, the company has been focusing on Live videos to take on Periscope. The camera app could be a mashup to ensure its goals are achieved and its growth ride doesn’t hit a speed breaker.