Facebook is buying the company whose face-swapping app has made it one of the most popular items on Apple's App Store. The mobile app allows people to use their smartphone's selfie camera to place filters over their faces and include effects such as Hollywood actors at the Oscars. Masquerade also challenges Snapchat lenses with features such as still photos to share on social networks, and video recording.

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Facebook has plans to add the Masquerade face swapping filter to the app of the world's largest social network. The social media giant also has plans to keep the mobile app as a stand-alone and free app.

Masquerade was launched in December 2015 and is available for iOS and Android platforms. In a few months on the App Store it has stayed close to the top of the online store's charts and earned an average rating of 5 stars.  

Facebook praised Masquerade for building the MSQRD app using high-end imaging technology for video, according to Tech Insider. The company is excited about Masquerade helping to improve the social network's video experience.

Meanwhile, Masquerade said in a blog post the company has worked hard to create fun filters for mobile phone owners. It is excited to team up with Facebook to bring the face-swapping technology to a bigger scale of people.

The three founders of the Masquerade app are Sergey Gonchar, Eugene Nevgen, and Eugene Zatepyakin, and will now work at Facebook's London office.  

Masquerade is one of several creative tools that have been added to the Facebook app. It has also added photo filters, stickers, and finger doodles.

Facebook's purchase of MSQRD will help it to take on Snapchat's filters. The video-messaging app recently announced in a blog post that it will start allowing users to customize their geofilters, according to Digital Trends.

Snapchat users can now create their own filters for birthday parties and other special events, or to advertise their businesses. The custom-made filters will be available in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom with a starting price of $5.

Various factors will affect the cost of the geo-filters including the size. They can also only stay live for a maximum of 30 days.