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Barcelona: Meta’s Twitter Competitor
Whether we know this name stays or not, Meta has been preparing for the launch of their new micro-blogging, text-based app. Barcelona app, is intended to launch by the end of June 2023, but we are still waiting for the exact date.
So far, we have only seen teasers through tweets, and insider leaks. Alessandro Paluzzi shared a Tweet, showing the first image of the logo, and what the editing section of a ‘Barcelona’ app profile page looks like.
As you can see, it’s a rather basic logo, with a clear emphasis on the “@”.
This is possibly a reference to what will be the main stars of the network, account handles, and mentions.
Thanks to Lia Habermann, we have the first feed image. She shared this in her newsletter, which you can access by clicking the screenshot below.
As you can see, it is very similar to Twitter, where message threads dominate, with a profile picture to credit the author.
Unsurprisingly, this has caused a lot of commotion in the social media world. People want to know… “How will this play out?”
Right now we only have limited knowledge, until the true launch. So, what is the ‘Barcelona’ app and how does it work?
What is ‘Barcelona’?
After Twitter’s management was replaced with Elon Musk, many new changes have arrived to the app, including an upcharge in Twitter’s API and Twitter Blue, this has left many users with a decision. To invest in the network or move on?
Twitter Co-Founder Jake Dorsey went his own way, with the creation of Bluesky Social, a decentralized social network that will be free to all users.
Meta was next to create another alternative. The reason for the name ‘Barcelona’? We aren’t sure yet either, but wondering if the network will explain this.
Meta’s goal with this app is to provide a familial network, that will be attached to your Instagram and Facebook accounts. Following Dorsey, this project will open the doors for decentralization.
In the last few months, Instagram has been working to improve DM engagement, releasing features such as Broadcast Channels, and Instagram Notes.
How the Barcelona App Will Work
Barcelona has many similar features to Twitter, including posting text updates of up to 500 characters and adding links, photos, and videos of up to 5 minutes.
You will also be able to reply, like, re-post, and tweet other users’ content on the app.
Meta is also building its first decentralized back end, meaning this support other decentralized systems, such as what BlueSky Social is building.
As of now, this app has not yet been released to the public. Meta has been leaking information and giving early access to some creators, celebrities, and other public figures. Hopefully, this means the release to all users and regions will come soon.
Conclusions
Although there are a lot of unknowns about this app, including if it will really be called ‘Barcelona’, what we do know is this will be a major shift for Meta.
This new wave of social media is looking to become decentralized, which might be trying to prove something to Twitter. Also, this allows the Barcelona app and Meta to be accessible to a larger number of users.
The drama continues on social media, and you truly never know what is coming next!
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