Threads, the alternative to Twitter created by Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, is currently a hot topic on the Internet.
In fact, Threads was trending on Twitter in Uganda with over 2 million tweets as of Friday, July 8, 2023.
Threads is not just a direct competitor to Twitter; some people even consider it a superior version of Twitter.
Regardless of personal opinions, Threads is growing rapidly. According to Search Engine Journal, it has already amassed 80 million users just two days after its launch.
Threads is just one example of Zuckerberg’s genius. However, this isn’t the first time he has replicated successful apps.
Let’s explore 5 apps Zuckerberg cloned and how they fared.
1. Facebook Dating, a Tinder Copycat
In 2018, Meta introduced Facebook Dating as a rival to Tinder. Unlike Tinder, Facebook Dating aimed to eliminate the casual hook-up culture by connecting users based on shared experiences.
Did it succeed?
When Facebook Dating launched in Europe in 2020, Meta claimed it had already made 1.5 billion matches.
However, Tinder generates 30 million matches every day, which amounts to approximately 10 billion matches per year. Interestingly, 57% of Facebook users have never even heard of Facebook Dating, and only 9% use the platform.
2. Facebook Slingshot: A Snapchat Imitation
Back in 2013, Zuckerberg attempted to purchase Snapchat for $3 billion, but the offer was rejected.
Since Facebook struggled to attract young users, who largely constituted the daily active users, Zuckerberg decided to create Slingshot as a challenger to Snapchat.
Slingshot allowed users to send pictures and videos to each other, which would then be replied to with another picture or video, breaking the rule that only 1% of internet users create content.
Was it successful?
No, Facebook Slingshot was a flop and was removed from app stores in December 2015. While Snapchat ranked among the top 10 most downloaded apps on iPhones, Slingshot struggled to even make it into the top 1,000.
3. Facebook Pay: A PayPal Duplicate
Meta launched Facebook Pay in 2019 (rebranded as Meta Pay in 2022) to compete with PayPal, a popular digital payment platform with over 360 million active users and four billion transactions in Q3 of 2020 alone.
Meta Pay aimed to provide a convenient way for people to make payments across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Once users added their preferred payment method to Meta Pay, they no longer needed to enter it each time they made a payment.
Was it successful?
According to Meta, people from over 200 countries are using the payment method, so we can consider it successful. However, compared to PayPal, its intended rival, it’s difficult to determine if Meta Pay was truly successful.
There are no specific figures regarding Meta Pay’s transaction value or volume, but its limitations in comparison to PayPal suggest that it falls short. For instance, Facebook Pay can only be used within Facebook, while PayPal can be used on any platform, including physical stores.
4. Facebook Lasso: A TikTok Imitator
In 2018, Meta attempted to rival TikTok, which was attracting a large number of young users from China to the US.
Launched as Lasso, it was a short-form video app that allowed users to record 15-second videos and overlay them with popular songs.
Did it succeed?
Lasso failed miserably. According to TechCrunch, Lasso struggled to attract users, with less than 80,000 daily active users on Android. The number for iOS users was so low that it wasn’t even available.
5. Instagram Reels: Another TikTok Copy
Instagram Reels was Meta’s another attempt to challenge TikTok’s dominance in short-form content.
Introduced in August 2020, Instagram Reels allowed users to create 15-second videos with various effects and audio options, similar to Lasso.
Was it successful?
Instagram Reels was a huge success. As per Demand Sage, 2.35 billion people engage with it every month, and it even helped increase the user base of Instagram.
These are just a few examples of apps Zuckerberg has cloned over the years and their performance. However, there have been many hit-and-miss endeavors. Whether replicating apps or developing originals, Zuckerberg remains the unrivaled king of social media.
