Instagram is working on yet another Snapchat clone

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Facebook is testing yet another Snapchat clone. 

Yes, again. And, once again, Facebook’s latest effort to take on Snap is centered around Instagram. That’s according to The Verge, which reports that Instagram has been testing “Threads,” a new, separate app based around Instagram users’ “close friends” lists. 

The app is “designed to promote constant, automatic sharing between users,” says The Verge, which has published mock-ups of the app based on screenshots of the unreleased app. The images show a single feed where you can view friends’ Stories or brief “statuses.” 

These status updates can be generated automatically based on what you’re doing, your location, how fast you’re traveling (if you’re “on the move,”) or manually. 

It’s not clear when or if Threads might launch. The app is being tested with Facebook employees, according to the report, though the company often tests new features that never roll out more widely. It’s also been reported that Instagram previously built dedicated apps for private messaging and shopping, both of which have been reportedly shelved. 

Facebook and Instagram have tried to copy Snapchat at least a half a dozen times over the years. But, until Instagram launched Stories inside of its own app, those attempts were unsuccessful. 

But there are reasons why Facebook may think now’s the right time to revisit the idea of a dedicated app just for “close friends.” Mark Zuckerberg said earlier this year he intended to remake Facebook into a “privacy-focused” social network centered around private messaging as people seek less public ways to share on social media. A more private version of Instagram could accomplish just that.

An app for “close friends” would also be a direct challenge to Snapchat, which has long marketed itself as an app for “real friends.” Snapchat recently reported its strongest growth in years, after a more than one-year slump.

Facebook is also reportedly worried that Instagram’s growth could cannibalize the main Facebook app, which has prompted the company to dramatically increase the amount of advertising in Instagram as it moves deeper into e-commerce. Having a separate, more private app that’s geared  toward friendships could help the company aggressively pursue new revenue without alienating users who use the app as their primary social network.

Of course, Facebook’s prior attempts to create a standalone Snapchat clone have all been unsuccessful and Threads could easily be just as much of a dud as the rest of the now-dead wannabe Snapchats the company has pushed over the years. But by incorporating Instagram Stories and users’ “close friends,” the company is at least showing that it’s willing to put the all the muscle of Instagram into trying.