Facebook launches Instagram-styled phone picture application

Facebook Camera is currently available on the App store as a free to download and use application.

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook on Thursday released a "camera" application that lets people take Instagram-style pictures and then share them directly on to Facebook via iPhones.

The stand-alone application synchs to the leading social network, letting friends admire one another's photos.

The new mobile app "makes using Facebook photos faster and easier," according to product manager Dirk Stoop.

"You'll see a feed of great photos from the people you care about," Stoop said in a Facebook post. "You can swipe to see more of any album or tap to enlarge an individual photo."

The mini-program also let people share many pictures simultaneously instead of having to post them one at a time to the social network, according to Stoop.

Facebook Camera was to be available in Apple's online App Store late Thursday.

Facebook had procured Instagram in a billion-dollar deal in April.

The big ticket purchase was seen by some as a move by Facebook to strengthen defenses against Google and blazingly hot newcomer Pinterest.

"For years, we've focused on building the best experience for sharing photos with your friends and family," Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg said in announcing the deal.

"Now, we'll be able to work even more closely with the Instagram team to also offer the best experiences for sharing beautiful mobile photos with people based on your interests."

An Instagram application tuned to Apple's iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch devices has been downloaded more than 30 million times since the first version was released in late 2010 by the San Francisco startup.

A version of the application tailored for smartphones power by Google-backed Android software racked up more than a million users in the 24 hours after its recent release.