Facebook is testing a new strategy for its Snapchat-like “Stories” by turning to a subsidiary for help.
Facebook-owned Instagram is reportedly testing letting users post their Instagram Stories directly to Facebook’s twin service of the same name. Twitterusers and outlets like the Next Web first spotted the test feature this week, as Instagram began giving certain users the ability to share their Stories—collections of video and photos that disappear after 24 hours—on both Instagram and Facebook.
The move comes several months after Facebook rolled out its own separate Stories feature on its mobile apps followed by a desktop version last month. While Facebook hasn’t said specifically how many people are using Stories, it doesn’t seem to have really caught on based on the number of users saying that they see few friends posting on the feature.
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On the other hand, Instagram Stories has 250 million daily users a little over a year after it debuted. That outpaces the 166 million daily users for Snapchat, even though Instagram and Facebook would eventually copy it—leading to a slowing in Snapchat’s growth. (Snapchat introduced its Stories in 2013.)
Facebook is unlikely to just abandon Stories, as it is an opportunity for more ads. Facebook has also rolled out Snapchat Stories-like features for both its Messenger and WhatsApp services.