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Facebook has been desperately working to steal the spotlight from the incandescent Snapchat for years and has been making incredibly obvious cloning techniques in the process. For its Messenger app, however, Facebook is introducing a new feature that basically allows users to create their own Geofilters. All they have to do is type something and the service will generate filters that turn the text into quirky squiggles that users can stamp over their faces.
It’s clear that Facebook is pulling out all the stops with this new feature, which can generate more than a billion filters via a new algorithm, TechCrunch reports. Being able to take random texts and making them into workable filters might seem simple, but it’s a programming feat worth noting.
The feature also comes with over 15 officially recognized language designations, which would allow the algorithm to also add some images or icons to go along with the goofy squiggles. For example, if users type words that have to do with morning, the algorithm might provide them with images of a rising sun.
According to David Marcus, the head of Messenger at Facebook, this is an important step for the app since photos are starting to play a much bigger role in conversations in the age of social media. That’s why they wanted to capture a part of this segment in a way that would really cement their place.
“A lot more conversations are starting from photos,” Marcus said. “We wanted to make sure we could be a first-class citizen when it comes to visual messaging, and naturally for that you need a good camera.”
The product manager of Messenger, Peter Martinazzi also wrote a blog post about the new feature. According to him, the new filter options will become available worldwide in a matter of days.
“In some ways the camera is now replacing the keyboard,” the blog post reads. “As more people use Messenger in their everyday lives, we wanted to make it faster, simpler and more fun to send photos and videos — so we built the new Messenger camera.”
