Line takes on Snapchat and Facebook with selfie app launch
Japanese messaging app Line has launched egg, a selfie app that layers on 3D masks to photos and videos.
Much like the filters on Snapchat and the now Facebook-owned MSQRD, the app recognises a person’s face and the movements of the face, allowing the filters to change based off the movements of the face.
Line has partnered with Warner Bros on its upcoming DC Comics release Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, launching with a special filter for the film.
Line also plans to integrate its own popular characters into the app, including the Line character Choco. The app also lets people swap faces with one another and upload their own pictures, a feature that’s proven popular on rival apps.
Both Snapchat and Facebook have been on spending sprees of late, with Snapchat buying Bitmoji not long after Facebook bought MSQRD, but Line’s strategy has historically been to build its own versions of apps, rather than buy the technology in.
Earlier this year Line launched an app specifically to tap into foodie trends, helping people take and share the best pictures of their food. The app is aptly titled ‘Foodie’.