Facebook Expands Its Offering with Stories and Direct Features on Main App

Facebook, a dominant powerhouse in the social media world, has once again leveled up its user experience, this time potentially giving us direct evidence of their intent to go toe-to-toe with Snapchat. In an official announcement on their website, Facebook clarified that the compelling Stories feature, already a hit in Messenger and WhatsApp, both Facebook-owned platforms, would now grace the main Facebook app as well.

This shift indicates a concerted effort by Facebook to match Snapchat’s features. Notably, Facebook’s adaptation maintains the ‘Stories’ moniker in its main app, reinforcing its intent without a cursory name change. Simply put, you’ll get a snapshot of your friends’ activities in the past 24 hours through their shared photos, videos, and camera effects. If the format appears familiar, that’s because it is. Like Snapchat and Instagram Stories, a ring of profile pictures will appear at the top of your app. Engaging with any of the available stories is as simple as tapping on that user’s profile picture.

Facebook has made the creation of your Stories a breeze too. An accessible camera icon is nestled in the top left corner of the main app, just before the circular profile images. Then it’s as easy as snapping a picture or recording a video and adding your choice of special effects. Of course, as with its counterparts, your Story will vanish after a 24-hour period.

But the Stories feature isn’t the only new addition to the Facebook family. They also revealed ‘Direct,’ a new messaging feature set to revolutionize direct communications on the platform. With Direct, you can send a photo or video to a friend who can view it once, replay it, or respond. Importantly, once the conversation around the shared content ends, the said content will cease to be visible within the Direct feature.

Facebook, despite landing in murky waters a few times due to alleged Snapchat rip-offs, seems to have mastered the art of adopting, adapting, and successfully launching popular features. Instagram Stories, introduced in 2016, serves as a shining example of this, quickly becoming a fan-favorite, while Facebook’s other product, WhatsApp, followed suit with its own version not long after. Consequently, Facebook, recognizing the potential of Stories, has expanded the feature to its main platform.

Though you might not have immediate access to Stories and Direct, Facebook assures that these features will be available soon enough, enhancing your Facebook experience to an exciting new level. Consistent with its leadership role in the tech arena, Facebook continues to evolve, constantly refining its software, services, and solutions in a ceaseless quest to better serve its vast global user base.

This article was updated in 2025 to reflect modern realities. .