Facebook Launches Slingshot, Its Snapchat Competitor

The new ephemeral messaging app is a familiar concept with an interesting and risky twist.

learn more about Laura Entis

By Laura Entis

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Poke, Facebook's first attempt at building a Snapchat competitor, belly flopped. But that hasn't stopped the social network from taking another jump.

For some time now, rumors have swirled about Slingshot, Facebook's sophomore take on the ephemeral messaging app. Mark Zuckerberg was reportedly "personally involved" in its development, and last week the app briefly appeared in some countries' app stores before disappearing.

Today, all the speculation can be put to rest: Slingshot is here, for real this time.

Unlike Poke, Slingshot is not a direct Snapchat ripoff. "With Slingshot, we wanted to build something where everybody is a creator and nobody is just a spectator," Facebook said in a blog post announcing the launch.

That's right – lurkers aren't welcome on the app.

As with Snapchat, users can send photos or videos -- adorned with text or coloring, if desired -- that last up to 15 seconds with Slingshot. Each message can be viewed exactly once by the recipient before disappearing for good.

Related: Facebook Reportedly Developing Its Own Snapchat -- Again

Unlike Snapchat, however, opening a message on Slingshot requires that you send a message of your own back to its sender. "Here's the deal: friends won't be able to see your shot until they sling something back to you," Facebook explained.

While it's good news that Slingshot isn't another straight-up Snapchat clone and while the intent is admirable, it's fair to wonder whether Facebook has overestimated our collective desire to share versus our collective desire to consume. After all, plenty of people use social networks to "lurk," spending most of their time checking up on other people's posts instead of posting themselves. For those types, being forced to respond to a message on Slingshot might be a tough sell.

Still, Facebook is determined to try. "[Venture capitalist] Fred Wilson once said that the cardinal rule of social networks is that 1 percent of people create content and 90 percent of people consume it," Slingshot designer Joey Flynn told the Verge, "and we want to flip that on its head."

Related: This Is the 23-Year-Old Entrepreneur Who Just Turned Down $3 Billion From Facebook

Laura Entis
Laura Entis is a reporter for Fortune.com's Venture section.

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

Everyone Wants to Get Close to Their Favorite Artist. Here's the Technology Making It a Reality — But Better.
The Highest-Paid, Highest-Profile People in Every Field Know This Communication Strategy
After Early Rejection From Publishers, This Author Self-Published Her Book and Sold More Than 500,000 Copies. Here's How She Did It.
Having Trouble Speaking Up in Meetings? Try This Strategy.
He Names Brands for Amazon, Meta and Forever 21, and Says This Is the Big Blank Space in the Naming Game
Business News

These Are the Most and Least Affordable Places to Retire in The U.S.

The Northeast and West Coast are the least affordable, while areas in the Mountain State region tend to be ideal for retirees on a budget.

Business News

I Live on a Cruise Ship for Half of the Year. Look Inside My 336-Square-Foot Cabin with Wraparound Balcony.

I live on a cruise ship with my husband, who works on it, for six months out of the year. Life at "home" can be tight. Here's what it's really like living on a cruise ship.

Business Ideas

55 Small Business Ideas To Start Right Now

To start one of these home-based businesses, you don't need a lot of funding -- just energy, passion and the drive to succeed.

Business Solutions

Master Coding for Less Than $2 a Course with This Jam-Packed Bundle

Make coding understandable with this beginner-friendly coding bundle, now just $19.99.

Health & Wellness

5 Essential Steps to Expand Your Vision and Start Living Your Dream Life

It's time to break free from your comfort zone and expand your vision. When you refuse to settle for a mediocre life, you can start building a life you love.

Starting a Business

Ask Marc | Free Business Advice Session with the Co-Founder of Netflix

Get free business advice during our next Ask Marc, live Q&A, on 3/28/23 at 3 p.m. EDT. You don't want to miss it—send in your questions now.