Facebook is the most popular social media platform around. Many people know this. What they do not realize is that Facebook has become a giant corporation over the years that has grown to encompass multiple apps, some of which you use every single day.
You just don’t realize that Facebook owns them. Facebook has a reputation for identifying companies with great potential and buying them before they can grow into significant rivals. But rather than stifling those apps, Facebook will either assimilate their attributes into their social media platform or invest in them, giving their developers the resources they need to turn those apps into social media juggernauts that can expand Facebook’s considerable reach.
If you can’t think of any Facebook-owned apps you have ever used, consider the following:
List of Facebook Owned Apps and Companies
Here is the list of Top Facebook Apps and Companies which is owned by FB.
| Companies | Release Date |
|---|---|
| Facebook app. | February 4, 2004 |
| GIPHY | February 2013 |
| October 6, 2010 | |
| February 2009 | |
| Messenger | August 9, 2011 |
| Oculus VR | October 13, 2020 |
| Bump by NPE | |
| Whale | |
| Tuned by NPE |
1. Messenger
Facebook Messenger is the first app that most people think of when conversations about Facebook-owned apps arise. The app first entered the market in 2008. If you can’t remember using Messenger in 2008, the app was initially called Facebook Chat.
As the name suggests, it had messaging functions that were eventually integrated into a standalone application in 2011. Today, Messenger attracts 1.3 billion users each month. The most recent iterations of the app offer an ad-friendly interface, dark mode, and the ability to personalize the display colors. You can use Messenger to share videos, photos, documents, and emojis.
- Available for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android
- Support 111+ languages
- Completely freeware service
2. WhatsApp
Even though WhatsApp joined the Facebook family in 2014, many people are unaware of the connection between the two. They think that Messenger and WhatsApp are rivals. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Facebook spent $19 billion on the app.
The acquisition made sense. WhatsApp had only been on the market for five years and yet, it had already become one of the biggest messaging apps in the world. Today, it rules the messaging field. Boasting two billion active users each month, many professional voices in the industry expect ads to become a common element of WhatsApp in the near future.
These suggestions have done little to dampen the interest in WhatsApp. The messaging app allows users to exchange messages, videos, photos, and documents. Many people favor the app over conventional messaging avenues because it has end-to-end encryption. This guarantees the privacy of users.
- More than 2 billion people in over 180 countries use WhatsApp
- WhatsApp was founded by Jan Koum and Brian Acton
- Available for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS
3. Instagram
Facebook spent a billion dollars on the acquisition of Instagram. They bought it just two years after it came on the scene. When you consider the fact that Instagram has over a billion active monthly users, it is easy to understand why the acquisition of Instagram has been hailed as one of the most profitable deals in recent history.
A billion dollars is a lot but it pales in comparison to the value of Instagram today. The app was a gamechanger when it debuted because it focused primarily on the sharing of videos and photos. No one expected interest in the app to grow so quickly.
Today, Instagram users share a whopping 80 million videos and images every single day. These days, Instagram and Facebook go hand in hand. Many Instagram users are very active on Facebook and Vice versa. Instagram’s brand has benefited greatly from its association with Facebook.
Did you know?
Cristiano Ronaldo (Footballer) is the Most followed account in the world.
- Developer(s): Facebook, Inc
- Available in: 32 languages
- Original author(s): Kevin Systrom; Mike Krieger
- Size: 171.7 MB (iOS); 38.49 MB (Android); 42.6 MB (Fire OS)
4. Masquerade
Most people have heard of Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. They may not realize that WhatsApp and Instagram are Facebook-owned apps. But they have heard of those brands. Masquerade is not quite as popular.
More than likely, the app is completely new to you. Masquerade is different from the other Facebook-owned apps. It offers face-tracking and 3D face placement features. Like other Facebook apps, this one encourages users to share videos and pictures. However, the app also includes features that can alter your appearance. You can add animated components to your selfies.
Masquerade joined the Facebook family in 2016. It still exists as an independent program. Though, as you might expect, Facebook will use Masquerade’s technology to improve its platform.
5. Oculus VR
Oculus VR is not as obscure as Masquerade. Though, it also lacks the fame that apps like Instagram enjoy. The company opened its doors in 2012. Two years later, Facebook spent a little over two billion dollars on their acquisition.
Oculus VR is one of the most exciting Facebook-owned apps because the company makes virtual reality products. They are responsible for Oculus Rift, a VR headset that took the market by storm in 2016.
Some people thought that Oculus VR would implode because of ZeniMax. The gaming company accused Facebook of using stolen technology to make Oculus Rift. Even though ZeniMax won their lawsuit, Oculus VR survived. Facebook had to pay $250M in damages but Oculus VR is alive and well. More importantly, they are still making VR headsets and programs.
Facebook bought Oculus VR because they thought that Virtual Reality would become a mainstay of entertainment in the future. Even though VR technology is still limited in what it can do, the interest in the field is so high that experts expect Facebook’s acquisition of Oculus VR to pay off handsomely in the next few years.
6. Whale
The whale was designed to take advantage of the Meme obsession that has overrun the internet. As you may have guessed, you can use this app to create memes. You can either upload pictures or take photos using the app’s functions. Once the image is uploaded, you are free to edit it as you see fit, adding special effects, applying filters, using emojis, cropping your work, etc.
You don’t have to keep these memes to yourself. Once they are done, you can share them on Instagram and Messenger.
Conclusion
Facebook’s collection of apps is quite impressive, not just those they created but the ones they bought. The company spent $400 on Giphy, a website that allows you to create and share gifs.
They gave Canadian users Aux, an iOS app that was meant to compete with other music apps. They introduced Bump, a messaging app that doesn’t sound all that impressive until you realize that it doesn’t allow users to share pictures, links, or videos. The chatting app allows people to make friends without distractions. By the look of things, Facebook has no intention of stopping. There is no telling what they will buy next.
