Snapchat is testing a Boomerang

It looks like Snapchat may soon be borrowing a feature from Instagram, for once.

The app is currently testing a new video feature that lets users create looping Boomerang-style videos. The feature, called "bounce," is being tested in a beta version of the app but isn't publicly available yet.

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Snapchat already lets you create looping videos — the feature was added a year ago — but it doesn't quite create Boomerang-like effects. (Boomerang creates its looping effects by playing clips forward and then backward.)

The new bounce feature brings Snapchat's version closer to Instagram's Boomerang, though. It appears alongside the other video playback tools. Using a slider, you select a portion of the video to "bounce." The clip will play backward and forward in a loop, similar to a Boomerang.

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You can see the feature in action in the video below, which was provided by a Snapchat beta tester.

A Snapchat spokesperson confirmed the app is testing the bounce feature with some users, but didn't say when it might launch more widely.

If and when it launches, it would be an interesting reversal of roles. Instagram is known for constantly copping features from Snapchat, not the other way around.

But lately, Snap has signaled it's ready to step up its efforts to compete with pressure from Facebook. The company just launched its Snap Kit developer platform, which offers some similar functionality to Facebook's developer features (like the ability to log-in to apps with Snapchat) but with a privacy-centric approach.

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