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Vine for Android updated: Facebook sharing, better searches

The video-sharing app for Android has been given a polish, bringing it almost in line with its iOS counterpart. Almost.

Joe Svetlik Reporter
Joe has been writing about consumer tech for nearly seven years now, but his liking for all things shiny goes back to the Gameboy he received aged eight (and that he still plays on at family gatherings, much to the annoyance of his parents). His pride and joy is an Infocus projector, whose 80-inch picture elevates movie nights to a whole new level.
Joe Svetlik
2 min read

Vine for Android is coming more in-line with its iOS counterpart. The six-second video service has just been updated on Android, adding features that have previously been exclusive to iPhone owners.

Anyone using Vine on Android can now share their mini movie masterpieces on Facebook (previously they could only do so on Twitter). They can also search for hashtags and users, too.

Android owners still can't share videos from the front camera on their phones though, which iOS users can. But Twitter has said that the feature will reach Android eventually.

The update promises better picture quality, and speedier video capture, too. You'll need Android Ice Cream Sandwich or later to be able to use it.

This week, Facebook threw down the gauntlet to Vine, when it outed the ability to record and share videos on Instagram. You can capture 15 seconds of fun compared to Vine's six, which sounds better on paper. But many would argue Vine's appeal lies in its brevity and simplicity.

Facebook owns Instagram, while Twitter owns Vine, so it's no surprise the two services are going head to head. It's not the first time the two social networks have tried to outdo each other, either. Last year, Twitter launched its own photo filters to compete with Instagram's famous hipster effects.

Vine was initially only for iOS when it launched, and while this update beings more features to the Android version, it's still not on a par with its iPhone counterpart. Do you find it annoying that Android apps are left wanting compared to their iPhone rivals? Should companies release both Android and iOS versions at the same time, with exactly the same features? And have you snaffled the update yet? What do you think of it? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.