Facebook jumps on the video app bandwagon with Riff
You can already message your friends, pay your friends, play Words With Friends, and e-stalk your friends on Facebook. And now, you can even make videos with friends.
Facebook launched its new collaborative video app, Riff, yesterday. The app is inspired by last summer's social media campaign for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which inspired millions to create and share videos that went on to dominate Facebook newsfeeds worldwide.
Riff allows users to make videos with friends, which are organized by a topic or theme. As friends add their own video clips to Riff, the network grows. Their friend list can then also view the videos and contribute their very own 20-second clips.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
(Facebook)
"The potential pool of creative collaborators can grow exponentially from there," said Facebook product manager Josh Miller, "A short video can become an inventive project between circles of friends that you can share to Facebook, or anywhere on the internet, at any time."
Though it's only been one day, customer reviews have been mixed, with praises for its unique concept, but many complaints of long loading times and poor design. One reviewer described it as a "kind of weird video app," while another was more succinct, describing it with just two words: "really dumb."
Riff is available on iOS and Android in more than 10 languages.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The Idea of You review: 'impossible escapism' starring Anne Hathaway
The Week Recommends Steamy romcom about a 40-year-old who falls for a boy band singer
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: May 11, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: May 11, 2024
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Amazon ending 'Just Walk Out' grocery checkout
Speed Read In its place, the company will let customers scan while they shop with Amazon Dash Cart
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Justice Department bites Apple with iPhone suit
Speed Read The lawsuit alleges that the tech company monopolized the smartphone industry
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
House votes to force TikTok to sell or face US ban
speed read The House passed a bill to ban TikTok on national security grounds unless it sells to a non-Chinese company
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Apple kills its secret electric car project
Speed Read Many of the people from Project Titan are being reassigned to work on generative AI
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Cellphone use may be lowering sperm count
Speed Read Electromagnetic radiation could be affecting male fertility
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Nasa reveals first findings from asteroid that could explain origins of life
Speed Read Sample from Bennu has been found to contain an abundance of water and carbon
By Jamie Timson, The Week UK Published
-
NYPD to monitor Labor Day parties using surveillance drones
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Elon Musk announces change to Twitter logo
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published