Twitter Counters Instagram, Launches Photo Filters

Smartphone-photo-app-ATake that, Instagram. Only days after Facebook's photo-sharing network Instagram removed support for posting its images directly into Twitter feeds, Twitter strikes back. With app updates the company is promising for iOS and Android today, Twitter gains the ability to apply filters and do in-app photo editing before posting. The Twitter blog last night announced the new feature and included a demo video.

Users can apply one of eight filters and even preview how each affects the image in a grid. Images can be pinched and zoomed for cropping. The app can also apply an auto-enhancement.

The arrival of the in-app editing feature firms up the growing divide and competition between Facebook/Instagram and Twitter. Last week Instagram stopped supporting the Twitter cards platform that made posting its images to Twitter feeds more seamless. As both companies ramp up their respective ad strategies, especially on mobile platforms, the era of good feeling and traffic sharing that typified the early years of social networking appears to be waning.

Next story loading loading..