Facebook bins short lived Notify news app and cannibalises its services
Facebook has aborted its fledgling Notify news app just seven months after its launch following a disappointing reception that saw slip into obscurity almost as soon as it arrived.
Instead the social network has taken the decision to cannibalise its services, ensuring that real-time, notification based news feature will live on.
Alerting current users to the change, Facebook said: “hanks for using Notify. We’re transitioning parts of Notify into other Facebook products, and the app will no longer be supported.”
Notify launched in November to a brief fanfare but a muted response thereafter saw it fail to take off, despite over 70 publishers signing up for the service. Instead its functionality will be transferred to other Facebook products such as Messenger.
One key differential which set Notify apart from similar services was the level of detail afforded in setting up alerts, with users able to select individual sports teams, businesses and brands.