I'm not a huge fan of "big tech," but I have to admit, Meta is currently doing something right. Lately instead of packing more and more features into standing room only apps like Facebook and IG, they've taken a different approach, they've started making stand alone apps. This is something I'm digging because I don't keep Facebook and IG on my phone anymore. Meta is like a drug company, they know how to hook people. Facebook is not pleasant, but if I have it, I keep going back to it. IG I actually really like.... REALLY really like, that's the issue. My screen time gets cut by more than half when I off load the app, so I keep it off of my phone most of the time.
Another thing that's interesting to me is that Meta has split the company. For awhile all apps listed Meta as the developer, now IG has it's own subset of apps developed and Facebook has a different set of apps. IG put out "Edits" a few months ago, and that app started good and has only gotten better. I understand that it's geared toward creation for IG more than it is a stand alone editing app, so my main complaint of not being able to edit in landscape probably isn't a concern for them, although YouTube has answered that with their in house editing app "YouTube Create," that's another app for another post though. In the past few weeks IG has released "Instants." There is a stand alone app, although they did bake it into IG as well. I assume they did that to push early engagement for those who wouldn't download a new app. I wish they would fully separate it. Apparently it's a knock off of an existing app, but as a millennial, my hot take is if it's an important, fun, or engaging enough app, Meta will rip it off, and then I can experience it. Just THIS week, Facebook quietly released a new app, no announcement, just buzz in the tech world. The app is called "Forum." For a long time I've told people, I don't generally miss being off of Facebook, but I DO miss not accessing groups. I truly long for the real forum days, but Groups or maybe Reddit is as close as we get these days. Well this new app gives you all of the group access minus the friends and family you don't really want to hear from anyway!
I didn't even mention Threads since it's been going strong for well over a year now. It's arguably what started this. It's been another one that's been constantly improving and has actually become a good Twitter alternative. I never would've guessed that when it released, but here we are. That is also the only Meta app I constantly keep on my phone. It's just engaging enough without being addictive or infuriating.
