Facebook may soon be giving users the ability to “enhance” (the word is used lightly) the photos they upload with a new feature in its core app that allows users to add captions and more to photos Snapchat, Inc. style.

According to reports, the new features are currently being tested on iOS devices, and allows users to add text overlays, Snapchat-like filters, as well as stickers to photos before they are uploaded to Facebook proper.

Filters are said to include auto color correction, vintage sepia, bright spring, golden summer, orange fall, muted winter, and black-and-white snow filters.

Unlike a standard Snapchat overlay, the Facebook offering appears to be more complete, with users being able to color text, tilt text and possibly even use fonts.

The stickers are nothing too exciting, with just the usual mix you’d expect from various chat platforms, but they do appeal to certain demographics, particularly in Asia.

Meh

It seems that Facebook knows it has a problem among some younger users when it comes to messaging and sharing; it would appear that, for all intents and purposes, Facebook has become uncool.

Whether adding text and stickers to pictures will do anything to make it a more desirable message platform is a question without answer at this stage; it certainly won’t hurt, but likewise it’s a stretch to believe people who use Snapchat as their primary messaging platform are going to swarm back to Facebook because of it.

It’s also just a rather me-too play: there’s nothing Facebook is doing here that is new, inspiring or even remotely interesting.

If Facebook really wants to get out in front of the likes of Snapchat on messaging among millennials it needs to come up with something new, but like with Google as well, companies that become huge corporate monoliths often lose the urge to seriously innovate.

It’s not clear when the feature will be available to all iOS Facebook app users, or if it will ever make its way to Android.

Image by SiliconANGLE