As Snapchat continues to find its post-IPO footing, its competitors continue to copy its most iconic feature. As part of a recent redesign, Microsoft-owned Skype announced the launch of Highlights, a feature that mimics Snapchat’s Stories.
Highlights, are photo and video messages that can be decorated with doodles and captions and disappear after a set period of time. In Skype’s case, Highlights will have one-week lifespans, a significant increase over the one-day period for which each individual Snapchat Story is live. Users can share Highlights with friends, and anyone who chooses to subscribe to a friend’s Highlights will be able to see all the updates he or she posts. If a particular Highlight tickles you, you can respond with an emoji.
Highlights are on display in a video posted to Skype’s YouTube channel:
Skype has reportedly been working on Highlights for a year, and in that time period, several other platforms have copied Stories to great effect. Most notably, Instagram’s take on the format has become so widespread that its user base has surpassed that of Snapchat’s.
Skype has not been shy about tracing the origins of its Stories clone back to Snapchat. Its Corporate VP, Amritansh Raghav, said Stories “is definitely a format, the same way the feed is a format…There’s a new medium that has risen.”
More details about Skype’s recent redesign can be found via the company’s blog.
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