Facebook kills MSQRD, its AR face-filter app
Augmented Reality (AR) apps are now widespread throughout mobile stores and devices, but there were times when applying a filter to your face in real-time was a novelty. Back in 2016, Facebook saw the potential behind the MSQRD app and swiftly brought the company to its ranks. Masquerading your selfie pictures then quickly found its way to Facebook and Instagram, as the company used MSQRD to develop similar features in its own products.
Sadly, this has lead to the once-innovative app becoming obsolete, and Facebook decided to shut down the service completely on April 13, MSPoweruser reports. The company announced its decision on MSQRD’s Facebook page, here’s the full post:
On April 13, the MSQRD app will be going away. When Masquerade joined Facebook in 2016, photo filter technology was just beginning to emerge. MSQRD was fundamental to building early momentum for AR and providing insights to build the platform Facebook has today. Our focus is now on delivering you the best-possible AR experiences through Spark AR, the platform that allows anyone to create their own AR effects and share them across the Facebook family. You can still find AR effects directly within Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Portal. Huge thanks to our community for the support.
There’s no reason for Facebook to continue supporting a standalone app that duplicates the AR features of its SparkAR platform and Facebook Live. MSQRD has also seen a steady decline in popularity, as AR filters became more widely used and also a built-in feature of many smartphones’ camera native apps.
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