Facebook is Testing Disappearing Profile Status Updates, Seems Oddly Similar

Facebook is not afraid to try out new features to make the 13 year old company be relevant in today’s world. They have tried to stay relevant by adding features like the disappearing media format on Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, Messenger Day and WhatsApp Stories which were inspired by Snapchat Stories.

Well now they are testing an ephemeral feature that is akin to the disappearing photos and video. According to Buzzfeed, Facebook is testing a temporary profile status feature which will allow you to post text only updates which are upto 101 characters.

“We’re testing an update that lets people set a temporary status on their profile to let friends know what they’re doing or feeling in the moment,” a Facebook spokesperson told the publication. You will also be able to set an expiration date for the status and choose whether or not it will appear in your NewsFeed or only on your profile. Facebook has been testing this feature globally over the past week and you might see this update on your app.

This is a weird move by Facebook, but you can understand from the point where the company wants more people to be engaged on the platform. Currently, you can post your activities either via Facebook Stories or by using the ‘Feeling/Activity’ option under your compose window to inform your friends of what you are upto. Since Facebook is terming this feature as a way to let people broadcast what they are doing or feeling at the moment, this looks like the ephemeral version of the feeling/activity tab, which is strange.