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Facebook Messenger adds instant video sharing

Facebook Messenger adds instant video sharing

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15-second clips just like Instagram

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Facebook might be preparing its own Snapchat competitor dubbed Slingshot, but that’s not stopping the social networking giant from adding some similar features to its popular Messenger app. A new update this week brings instant video sending to Facebook Messenger, an option to shoot and send 15-second video messages. Facebook Messenger has long supported photo sharing and a Skype-powered video calling service on the web, but this is the first time its more than one billion users can start sending small video clips to each other.

You can send and receive video clips through Facebook Messenger on iOS and Android, but they’re not fully supported on Facebook Paper and you’re not able to send clips from Facebook.com. Unlike Snapchat, Facebook Messenger video clips are more like Instagram videos that don’t disappear. You simply hold down on the camera send button and your clip is recorded and sent instantly to a contact or group without a preview option. Alongside the video clips addition, Facebook has also added a big likes option that lets you send a giant thumbs up to your friends. Just don’t hold down on the thumbs icon for too long otherwise it expands and blows up. The latest Facebook Messenger update is available in the App Store for iOS and Google Play for Android handsets, but there’s no word on when the Windows Phone version will be updated.