Facebook's Slingshot Update Brings Reactions-to-Reactions and More

The latest update to the app adds the 'reactions to reactions' feature that will allow a Slingshot app user to reply (or react) to any reaction with an image, video or even text.

The company has also added a new feature to help users quickly find friends who are using Slingshot. Called My People, the new section shows users all their sling contacts in one place. The app has been also updated to make the search for Facebook friends and phone contacts using the Slingshot app 'more reliable'.

The social networking giant announced the update on its official Slingshot blog post on Thursday, saying, "Today we're excited to announce that reactions to reactions are here! Starting today, you can reply to any reaction with a photo, video or text."

Facebook launched its own ephemeral chat app called Slingshot last month, in an attempt to take on Snapchat.

The Slingshot app was globally made available by June-end after being briefly listed on the Malaysian App Store and then being launched solely for Android and iOS users in the US.

Notably, the Slingshot app is noted to work only with the iOS devices running iOS 7 or higher, and Android handsets running Jelly Bean or higher. For those unaware, the Slingshot app by Facebook allows users to exchange disappearing images and videos without requiring Facebook accounts. The app allows users to sign up for the service with their mobile phone number and connect with friends in their phone's contact list or, if they want, by finding their Facebook friends. Photos on Slingshot disappear from users' phones shortly after they are viewed, reflecting a growing anxiety about privacy in the age of Internet social networking.

Notably, Slingshot, unlike Snapchat and other chat services, forces a user to send an image or 'sling' [as Facebook calls it] in order to view an image received. The feature in the Slingshot app is seen as a move to increase the user involvement in the app.