All Silicon Valley companies are known for being super-innovative. Regularly churning out new tech innovations that improve---and make exciting---the lives of billions of people worldwide.

However, even the most innovative companies sometimes run out of innovative juice and occasionally have to borrow a thing or two from their contemporaries.

This is especially true for Facebook, as we think it's fair to say that the social network has been influenced by some of its biggest competitors...

1. Stories on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger

desktop screenshot of instagram stories

Facebook launched the Stories feature on Instagram in August 2016. At the time of release it was almost identical to Snapchat’s story format launched three years earlier.

The move raised a considerable number of eyebrows as it came just after Evan Spiegel (the CEO of Snapchat) turned down Mark Zuckerberg’s $3 billion acquisition offer to buy Snapchat.

The feature which has since been rolled out in Facebook and WhatsApp has been very successful, with over 500 million daily active users across each of Facebook’s standalone apps.

2. Instagram Reels

Reels, Instagram’s short-form video streaming feature, is perhaps Facebook’s most obvious move towards innovating and improving on the features of its competitors.

Launched in August 2020, the feature, which lets users share 15-second videos overlaid with music on Instagram, is widely regarded as a knockoff of TikTok.

TikTok, though relatively new to the social media space, clinched the #1 spot as the most downloaded app of 2020.

Facebook has reportedly made several attempts in the past to build an app that stacks up to TikTok, the most notable being Collab.

Related: What Is Instagram Reels and Can It Compete With TikTok?

3. Messenger Rooms

Facebook launched its Messenger Rooms, a video conferencing tool, in May 2020 as millions began relying on video conferencing apps because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But here’s the thing: Zoom already had that territory covered.

At launch, the feature, which allows up to 50 people to participate in a video chat with no time limit, was perceived by many as Facebook’s response to Zoom, which was growing in leaps and bounds in the wake of social distancing.

Or is Messenger Rooms just an improvement on the already-existing Messenger video calling feature?

Read More: How to Use Facebook's Messenger Rooms: A Beginner's Guide

4. Scannable QR Codes for Messenger and WhatsApp Business Profiles

Seemingly inspired by Snapchat’s Snap codes, in 2016, Facebook launched the Messenger QR Codes feature for its standalone messaging app, Messenger.

The feature, which allows users to instantly connect with brands and other users, was also widely regarded as an adaptation of the Snap codes already existing in Snapchat.

Facebook discontinued the QR Codes for Messenger Profiles in July 2019 but a new version has been reintroduced in Facebook’s WhatsApp for Business platform to help users connect directly with brands on WhatsApp.

5. Messenger Vanish Mode

The Vanish Mode feature, launched on Facebook’s Messenger and Instagram platforms in November 2020, is yet another competitor's idea Facebook was inspired by.

And guess where it was most likely borrowed from? That's right... Snapchat. The Vanish Mode feature allows users to set chats to automatically delete after the message is read and closed.

The feature stands out from Snapchat in that users have to enable the feature themselves as opposed to it being a default setting in Snapchat. Users can enable the feature by swiping up on an existing chat on their mobile device’s screen.

The feature is currently available in the US and few other countries.

6. Facebook Neighborhoods

Facebook’s launch of the Neighborhood feature in the same week Nextdoor was reported to be preparing to go public raised a considerable number of eyebrows.

The Facebook Neighborhood feature, which is currently being tested in Calgary, Canada, was launched to help keep residents in local communities connected.

The platform allows users to join local neighborhoods where they can see posts, groups, and marketplace items from users in the same neighborhood. Which are features that were already offered by Nextdoor.

7. Facebook Camera Effects

Facebook could be said to have taken yet another swipe at Snapchat when it debuted its Camera Effects feature in March 2017. The Facebook Camera effect allows users to add text and interactive design overlays such as selfie masks and filters to photos and videos in their stories.

Users can access the Facebook Camera by tapping on the camera icon on the top-left corner of the app or by swiping right from their Newsfeed. The feature’s similarity with Snapchat’s Geofilters made it worthy of being included in this list.

8. Facebook Gaming

Facebook gaming homepage

Facebook adapted yet another existing feature in April 2020, when it launched its standalone gaming app, Facebook Gaming.

The app, which according to Facebook offers "a focused, gaming-only experience for people who want deeper access," is widely regarded as a Twitch knockoff. With Twitch having been around since 2011.

9. Facebook Live

Facebook Live livestream

Facebook Live launched in August 2015 is perhaps one of the most innovative features on the platform. However, even Facebook Live wasn't exactly innovative at the time of launch, as Twitter’s Periscope had been launched earlier that same year.

The introduction of the Live video feature in Facebook coupled with Twitter’s integration of Periscope’s core features into its main app set Periscope on a downward spiral. The Periscope app is billed to be shut down in March 2021 because of declining usage.

How Did We Get Here?

It seems that the rapid speed of innovation experienced in the last two decades has made new and exciting innovations hard to come by. And as a result we'll have to get used to tech companies adapting and improving on their competitor’s best features. Still, when the features in question are as fun and/or useful as these, we won't complain too much.