Facebook announced its new app for iPhone and iPad users called Poke. The app will enable users to send quick messages, photos or video to other users similar to a text message; however, the new app will have the ability to destroy the message after a set time.

Users can pick poke, text, photo, or video message to send and then select a friend or multiple friends to send the message. Users can now set the expiration timer on the message, add a location, overlay text, or draw on a photo, and then send it. Recipients of the message get a notification with a voice saying "Poke!"

"Today we're announcing Poke, an iPhone app that makes it fun and easy to say hello to friends wherever you are. The poke feature has been a part of Facebook since 2004. Now we're excited to share a new poke experience for mobile. With the Poke app, you can poke or send a message, photo, or video to Facebook friends to share what you're up to in a lightweight way. You can poke an individual friend or several at once. Each message expires after a specific time you've set, either 1, 3, 5 or 10 seconds. When time runs out, the message disappears from the app," stated Facebook's newsroom.

With the release of Poke, Facebook is giving direct competition to Snapchat, a similar messaging system. The services of Facebook Poke and Snapchat are very identical with only certain differences. Poke also offers simple text messages, in addition to videos and photos. Users can add a location to where you record a Poke message. Poke allows users to have group conversations; however, with Snapchat users can message multiple people at once but cannot keep all of them in one thread.

Users can download the latest Facebook Poke app directly from Apple App store and it is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (third generation), iPod touch (fourth generation), iPod touch (fifth generation), and iPad. The app requires iOS 5.1 or later.