Facebook Launches ‘Slideshow’ to Compete with Apple’s ‘Memories’

Facebook, a cornerstone of the social media world, is trying to get users more involved, specifically with sharing photos and videos. How? By helping them bring color, life, and fun to these photos and videos through Slideshow, the company’s new movie-maker feature now available to Facebook app users.

As of this week, Facebook announced that Slideshow is available through the ‘Post a Status’ option on the Facebook app. It applies if a user has taken 5 photos or videos within the last 24 hours. After selecting the Slideshow option, users can choose a theme (Birthday, Nostalgic, Night Out, etc.) to customize the movie. Then Facebook adds the music and transitions to make for a video that is unique to the user.

As Facebook explains it: “This fun new feature will let you stitch together those special photos into a format that captures the spirit of the event.”

While Slideshow isn’t exactly “new” (it was launched for testing back in December through select users), it is now available to all users. It is the company’s way of bringing more animation and interaction to Facebook through personalized movies.

Facebook’s feature will be in direct competition with Apple’s new ‘Memories’, an automatic movie-maker tool that will be incorporated into Photos on iOS 10. Apple’s tool will work similarly: it arranges your videos and/or photos into mini movies (based on location, scenes, and even people) and utilizes stock soundtracks and transitions to deliver a personalized movie. Users can also re-edit the movie and even choose clip length.

Facebook has a leg up on Apple, though, as their ‘Slideshow’ creator is now available directly through the Facebook app. iOS users will have to wait for the official release of iOS 10 before than can enjoy Apple’s version of the movie maker. As of now, sources estimate that iOS 10 will be available in the fall.

‘Memories’ is only one of the many features users are looking forward to in iOS 10. Other features and tools to be expected in the iOS update include “raise to wake”, rich notifications, a new Control Center, Siri improvements, and multiple iMessage improvements. If you’re eager to try and test out iOS 10 before an official release, you can sign up to be notified when iOS 10 beta will be available to the public.

Are you more excited for Facebook’s movie-making tools or iOS 10’s? Or do neither of these tools interest you? Let us know in the comments below!