It’s getting harder and harder to tell your various social media networks apart. And now that Facebook is engaging in new efforts to make your profile picture look more like a Snap photo or a Vine video or a Boomerang GIF, it’s only becoming more confusing.
Late last week, the social network opened up its Profile Expression Kit to all developers “so people can create fun and personality-infused Facebook profile pictures and videos in the apps they are already using to create and edit photos and videos.” Because why not just make one, giant, indistinguishable app from a bunch of other apps that already exist?
The Profile Expression Kit was first introduced at Facebook’s F8 conference, where upon “a small number of beta partners” were given the opportunity to “share photos and videos created in third-party apps directly into their Facebook profiles.” But now that the floodgates have officially been opened, your profile “picture” may be much more than that.
As TechCrunch notes, media like Beauty+ enhanced selfies, MSQRD face filters, Lollicam stickers, and Flixel cinemagraphs can all be set as your default … get ready for some super colorful profiles.
Of course, Facebook will still review developers’ submissions before allowing them to go live on the site. “Before Profile Expression Kit will work, your app must go through our app review process,” Facebook notes. In order to win the company’s approval, your app will have to “have the primary purpose of creating and editing photos or videos, … encourage people to take selfie photos and videos with the front-facing camera,” and “not include ads or commercial content, such as logos and watermarks, in photos and videos.”
So if you’re interested in getting started, just read Facebook’s documentation, download the SDK, integrate the SDK into your app, and submit your app for review.
