Messenger Day Is The Dream Combo Of Snapchat & Instagram Stories

When Instagram Stories launched last August, people were quick to call it out as a Snapchat copycat. Despite the many similarities between the two, one very notable distinction has remained: Instagram Stories, for all its fun and creative tools, lacks the playful, transformative face masks that have come to characterize Snapchat.

Now, Facebook, Instagram's parent company, is introducing masks of its own, but in an usual place: Messenger. Yesterday, Facebook announced the launch of Messenger Day, which essentially combines the best parts of Instagram Stories and Snapchat. Your "Day" in Messenger is the same as your Story elsewhere — posts appear in tap-through format and last for 24-hours only. You can share photos and videos, add stickers and photo frames, and write and draw on-screen.

But you can also add masks and more screen effects than you get from Instagram Stories and Snapchat combined. For now, Messenger Day is limited to Messenger. So, you won't see Days when you go to your Facebook app. But if you're already using Messenger for group chats, Friday night planning, and sending payments, it makes sense to create a Story — er, Day — there, too.

Ahead, your ultimate guide to crafting the perfect Day.