Facebook is launching Threads, a new camera-first messaging application for Instagram, a statement on the company's website says.
According to Facebook, the new app offers a brand new way to communicate and share photos and videos with close friends in a private space.
"Threads is a standalone app designed with privacy, speed and your close connections in mind," the company's statement says.
Facebook says Threads will be the fastest way to share status, a photo or a video with a close circle of friends on Instagram. The application works by opening directly to a phone's camera, in the same as rival application Snapchat.
Experts believe that by introducing Threads, Facebook is trying to win over a younger audience since - according to Pew Research - only about half of US teens aged 13 to 17 use Facebook, which is lower than the percentage that use YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat.