Facebook shuts down its TikTok clone Lasso

The short-form video app never made it to Europe 
Amanda Vick / Unsplash
Amelia Heathman2 July 2020

Facebook’s attempt to capitalise on the success of TikTok hasn’t paid off as the company shuts down its Lasso app after 18 months of being live.

Lasso, which will be axed on July 10, was available in the US, as well as Central and South America. It was similar to the Chinese app in that it allowed users to record up to 15-second long videos and overlay popular songs on top. The app also had an algorithmic feed of recommended videos, just like TikTok.

A Facebook spokesperson told the Standard: "We place multiple bets across our family of apps to test and learn how people want to express themselves. One of these tests was Lasso, our stand-alone short-form video app, which we have decided to shut down and remove from all app stores on July 10.

"We thank everyone who shared their creativity and feedback with us, which we'll look to incorporate in our other video experiences."

The issue with Lasso is that it never had the same reach as TikTok when it came to downloads, which was maybe part of the reason that it never came to Europe and the UK. By comparison, the Byte Dance-owned app hit the two billion download mark in April this year. TikTok was already growing tremendously but the coronavirus pandemic has really helped it to hit new heights with people forced to stay indoors and use their phones more for entertainment.

It wasn’t just TikTok that received a Covid-19 boost: according to app data analytics firm AppAnnie, people spent 50 per cent more time in social media apps per week in April compared to stats for January 2020.

It seems like Facebook is moving on already from Lasso. It already has a new Instagram app in the bag called Reels which, spoiler alert, allows you to record 15-second clips set to music to post on Instagram. Initially tested in Brazil, the feature is rolling out in Germany and France and could be coming to more countries soon.

Reels will be able to be shared via Instagram Stories and there will be a new discovery section in Instagram Explore featuring the top Reels.

YouTube is also experimenting with its own 15-second video format. A new feature called Multi-Segment Videos is in testing at the moment and allows YouTubers to record several small clips and upload them directly to the platform as one video.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in