Facebook is testing out Facebook Stories for the desktop version of its service.
Stories is one of the features that Facebook launched on mobile to replicate the functionality of its younger rival, Snapchat. It lets people make ephemeral slideshows, related to specific events or themes, that disappear after a day.
According to TechCrunch, the implementation of Stories that some people are seeing on Facebook’s website is a test ahead of a “wider rollout” that will take place soon.
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The Stories feature is already available across most of Facebook’s mobile communications apps, including Instagram, Facebook Messenger and the social network’s main app itself.
On the mobile version of Facebook, Stories icons appear at the top of the news feed. Perhaps due to having more space, screenshots shown by TechCrunch and others show the feature occupying the top right slot on the screen, which is a slightly less obtrusive position.
It’s not clear how many people actually use Facebook’s Stories feature. Many people have noted that the way Facebook presents them – in a row of profile pictures showing who has recently posted a “story” – demonstrates a lack of real take-up. As most Facebook users access the service through mobile, it remains to be seen whether a desktop version of Stories will change matters.