Microsoft on the WindUp with Snapchat competitor

15 Aug 2014

Microsoft is looking to make its mark on the photo-sharing game by challenging the market leader Snapchat with its own app, WindUp.

The app, which is now available on Windows Phone 8 and 8.1, contains much of the same features as Snapchat, particularly its ability to let photos self-destruct after a selected period of time.

The choice of the name WindUp, according to Microsoft’s page detailing the app, is to ‘wind up’ the user’s friends by creating a race against time to see the photo before the photo is deleted off the phone.

Much like what Snapchat added in May, WindUp lets the user also record video and audio, and send text back and forth.

Many media companies are now attempting to emulate the popular app. Facebook introduced Slingshot, Instagram revealed Direct, and even Tinder attempted to recreate the auto-destruct photo capability with its Moments feature.

However, despite being the original player in the market, Snapchat’s reputation has been slightly tarnished after hackers accessed the data of 4.5m users. Snapchat then released what it called a ‘more secure’ app.

Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic

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