Facebook seems to drive itself further into photo and video sharing with the launch of a new standalone camera app. This is the latest report from the Wall Street Journal that the Facebook Inc is developing a stand-alone camera app, quite similar to vanishing photo app Snapchat, to enhance user engagement eventually citing people familiar with the matter. The social networking giant is trying to work on yet another Snapchat replica. In a bid to encourage its 1.6 billion users to create and share more photos and videos.

Currently, the app is under developing stage by Facebook’s “friend-sharing” team in London and as is in its early stages and may never come to fruition, according to the report. The company is also planning a feature that allows a user to record video through the app to start live streaming, the newspaper reported. Facebook could not immediately be reached for comment. This project is reportedly in prototype stages at the social network and could feature a designated live streaming feature.

Facebook Working on Building a Standalone Camera App

There are billions of smartphones in the world and near-ubiquitous high-speed data connections. With these massive connections and billions of users all over the world, Facebook sees a huge opportunity to get its 1.6 billion users sharing more than ever before. Facebook assumes that a camera app may help the company do that, and at the same time better compete with Snapchat.

Despite attempting to make a plenty of standalone apps through its Creative Labs division, Facebook has failed many times doing so. Now, Facebook is considering that the new camera app (developing stage) may be more successful if it has tight integration of Facebook Live, which is experiencing explosive growth as mobile live-streaming begins to take off. Earlier in the year 2012, the company launched Facebook Camera, a standalone photo app, prior to its acquisition of Instagram. But, later after two years, Facebook has shut it down.

If the new standalone camera app launches, it would be far from the first time Facebook has tried to make its own Snapchat-like camera app. With this move, Facebook has joined the growing list of companies working on artificial intelligence to allow businesses communicate to clients or customers.