Facebook Releases New Short Video App Lasso to Take on TikTok

• Facebook has released a new app that allows users to create fun 15-second viral videos.
• The app is the company’s latest attempt to win over teenagers; a demographic Facebook is losing out on to other platforms.
• The app is available as a standalone download on Android and iOS.

Soon after Vine’s successor was announced for a Spring 2019 launch, Facebook released its own take on the viral short video trend with its new Lasso app. The app will compete against TikTok, the viral app that took Vine’s place in the world of social media and recently merged with Musical.ly, another widely popular platform. The app was announced by Bowen Pan via Twitter, who is Facebook’s Product Manager for Lasso.

Teenagers have been leaving Facebook in favor of other platforms according to reports, and the company is trying to maintain its foothold in the social sphere. Lasso allows users to dance and lip-sync to popular songs; something users can already do on TikTok. However, the app stands out with its ability to create short clips similar to Vines.

Today, my team launched Lasso (@lassovideos), a new video app that lets you create short, fun videos and share them with friends.

Check it out on:
- iOS App Store: https://t.co/2MngxBOem0
- Android Play Store: https://t.co/jpy1tgy8wT

— Bowen Pan (@bowenpan) November 9, 2018

Facebook revealed “Lasso is a new standalone app for short-form, entertaining videos — from comedy to beauty to fitness and more. We’re excited about the potential here, and we’ll be gathering feedback from people and creators.”

The app requires authorization from an Instagram or Facebook account, and you will need to provide access to your photos and videos to use it. You can create and share your own videos as well as see creations by other users. The videos can be shared as Facebook stories only currently and the functionality to add them to your Instagram stories will be added soon.

There is already a lot of content with the launch hype engaging a large number of users. However, with TikTok already having captured the short viral video scene, it is unknown if Lasso will be able to leave a mark. The app saw a very quiet release with no official announcement in the Facebook Newsroom blog.

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