Recently, Facebook released a new iPhone app called Facebook Camera app. For awhile I thought it was your usual camera app that aims to enhance the iPhone’s stock camera app. But I was wrong. There was something more about the said app that is surprisingly similar with Instagram which, in case you’re not aware, was recently purchased by Facebook.
After spending a couple of minutes with the app, I thought I was using a toned-down version of the Instagram iPhone app. Is Facebook trying to kill the Instagram brand with this app?
Fortunately for Instagram fans, the Facebook Camera is not an exact copy. There are similar features and functionality but then Instagram is still leaps and bounds ahead of what Facebook Camera app can do. Here’s our quick review of the Facebook Camera app highlighting its features and functionality.
Facebook Camera is Not an Instagram Killer
Feature-wise, the apps does not have too much to offer. Well, yes, aside from letting you take photos and immediately share them on your Facebook wall, the app also lets you view photos shared or posted by your friends on their Facebook timeline. Just like in Facebook, this app also lets you tag friends, add captions and even say where you are as you are taking the photos.
A feature worth highlighting is that the app enables you to see and perhaps share photos from different apps installed on your iPhone. And yes – the app has crops and filters as well. Although not as extensive as those of Instagram, still, the ones for this app are pretty decent and worth using before sharing photos you’ve taken.
Another feature of the app that stands out is its ability to post a bunch of photos at once. This works great if you’re taking several photos of where you are and wanted to share all of them on your Facebook account immediately. Just make sure that you have a reliable Wi-Fi or 3G connection to ensure that the photos will all be uploaded.
Using Facebook Camera App
As simple as its features are, the app’s interface is pretty basic as well. At the bottom of the main screen you’ll see four options – home, all, selected and the write icon. Tapping on the home button brings out the feed of all photos shared or posted by your friends on Facebook. This is by way of a scrollable view with several components namely, the name of your friend, time photos were posted on Facebook, and the photo itself.
The app also allows you to “like” or “comment” on the photos easily as well. You can also see how many have “liked” the photo as well as the number of comments it already has. On top of the screen, you can switch from photos shared by your friends or photos you’ve posted yourself. There’s also the gear icon for tweaking some privacy settings , logging out option and link to the Facebook Camera app Help Center.
If a friend shared multiple photos, you simply swipe the screen to the left to see the other photos. I like this feature. It works fast and the swiping gesture is pretty responsive too.
To take photos using the app, simply tap on the camera icon located at the top-left portion of the screen.This simply brings out the iPhone’s camera app and photos you’ve taken are automatically loaded to your iPhone’s camera roll.
Photo Filter and Photo Edit Options
As soon as you’ve taken a photo, it is saved automatically. You can see the thumbnail image of this photo on the lower-left part of the screen. Tap on it and the app goes to photo editing mode. You’ll only have two options here. To apply photo filters or to crop the photo. There’s also the write button to let you post the photo right after you’ve edited it.
Do You Really Need The Facebook Camera App?
We’ll say this again. In its current form, Facebook Camera app is definitely not an Instagram killer. It’s a pretty capable app that will save you time when sharing photos you’ve taken using your iPhone’s camera. I mean, that’s what those camera are for, right? To let you take photos and immediately share them with your friends and family.
Should you download it? If you frequently share photos on your Facebook timeline, by all means, go get the app. You’ll enjoy it. If you’re an Instagram fanatic, get the app for curiosity’s sake. I can guarantee that you won’t replace Instagram for it.
Download Facebook Camera iPhone app
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