On April 1, 2026, Snapchat announced it was renaming its short-form video feed, Spotlight, to “Reals” — a space where users could, in its words, share their “real selves.” The catch? It was never real. The announcement was an April Fools’ Day joke, though the animosity it drew upon between the two tech giants is very much genuine. Social Media Today
A Jab Rooted in a Long-Running Rivalry
The prank builds on a pattern of behavior from Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, who has repeatedly and publicly accused Meta of copying Snap’s feature ideas. Social Media Today Spiegel has gone as far as adding “VP of Product @ Meta” to the About section of his LinkedIn profile — a pointed joke underlining his long-standing criticism of the social media behemoth. The name “Reals” is an obvious nod to Meta’s Reels, the short-form video product that many consider a direct imitation of Snapchat’s own offerings.
Tension Dating Back Over a Decade
The rivalry between Snap and Meta stretches back to 2013, when the Wall Street Journal reported that Meta had offered $3 billion to acquire a then-rising Snapchat, just one year after its purchase of Instagram. Social Media Today Snapchat rejected the offer, and the two companies have been in competition — and conflict — ever since.
The April Fools’ stunt is the latest example of Snap using humor as a weapon in its ongoing battle with Meta. While the name change lasted only a day, the message behind it is one Snapchat has been sending for years: imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but Snap isn’t laughing — except, of course, when it is.