Abstract: Systems and methods for automated local story generation and curation are described. In one example embodiment, a server computer receives content from client devices, and processes the content to identify content characteristics. Stories are then generated based on the characteristics of the received content, and the stories are communicated to client devices. In certain embodiments, selection at a client device of an individual piece of content within a story may further be used by the system to provide the client device with a sub-story that includes pieces of content sharing content characteristics with the characteristics of the selected image or video.

Abstract: A server includes a message thread module with instructions executed by a processor to maintain a message thread between a first user and a second user. Each entry of the message thread is deleted after a display period unless an indication regarding the entry is received during the display period.

Abstract: A method executed by a computer includes receiving an image from a client device. A facial recognition technique is executed against an individual face within the image to obtain a recognized face. Privacy rules are applied to the image, where the privacy rules are associated with privacy settings for a user associated with the recognized face. A privacy protected version of the image is distributed, where the privacy protected version of the image has an altered image feature.

Abstract: In response to generation of a message in a communication application on a client device, a graphical user interface is generated on the client device. The graphical user interface includes a destination list that includes user-selectable entries for individual recipients and for a gallery of ephemeral message. The user can send the message to individual recipients and/or add the message to the gallery by selecting the corresponding entries.

Abstract: A messaging server system receives a message creation input from a first client device that is associated with a first user registered with the messaging server system. The messaging server system determines, based on an entity graph representing connections between a plurality of users registered with the messaging server system, that the first user is within a threshold degree of connection with a second that initiated a group story in relation to a specified event. The messaging server system determines, based on location data received from the first client device, that the first client device was located within a geo-fence surrounding a geographic location of the specified event during a predetermined event window, the geo-fence and event window having been designated by the second user, and causes the first client device to present a user interface element that enables the first user to submit content to the group story.

Abstract: A server has a processor and a memory storing a message thread module with instructions executed by the processor to maintain a message thread between users of client devices. The message thread module serves a message thread with a new text entry to a client device in response to a request for the message thread from a user. Message thread state change is collected from the client device, where the message thread state change represents an indication to automatically delete the new text entry of the message thread after the duration of a transitory display period on the client device unless an indication of a gesture applied to a display screen presenting the new text entry of the message thread is received from the client device during the transitory display period. The message thread state change is queued at the server along with additional message thread state changes associated with the collecting operation performed for additional users associated with the message thread.

Abstract: Systems and methods for radial gesture navigation are provided. In example embodiments, user input data is received from a user device. The user input data indicates a continuous physical user interaction associated with a display screen of the user device. An initial point and a current point are detected from the user input data. A radius distance for a circle that includes the current point and is centered about the initial point is determined. An action is selected from among multiple actions based on the radius distance being within a particular range among successive ranges along a straight line that starts at the initial point and extends through the circle. Each range among the successive ranges corresponds to a particular action among the multiple actions. The selected action is performed in response to detecting a completion of the continuous physical user interaction.

Abstract: A method executed by a computer includes receiving an image from a client device. A facial recognition technique is executed against an individual face within the image to obtain a recognized face. Privacy rules are applied to the image, where the privacy rules are associated with privacy settings for a user associated with the recognized face. A privacy protected version of the image is distributed, where the privacy protected version of the image has an altered image feature.

Abstract: A server maintains a gallery of ephemeral messages. Each ephemeral message is posted to the gallery by a user for viewing by recipients via recipient devices. In response to a gallery view request from any of the recipient devices, the ephemeral messages in the gallery are displayed on the requesting device in automated sequence, each message being displayed for a respective display duration before display of the next message in the gallery. Each ephemeral message has an associated message availability parameter, at the expiry of which the ephemeral message is made unavailable for viewing as part of the gallery. At expiry of the message availability parameter of the last posted message, the gallery is made unavailable for viewing upon request by any recipient.

Abstract: A server has a processor and a memory storing a message thread module with instructions executed by the processor to maintain a message thread between users of client devices. The message thread module serves a message thread with a new text entry to a client device in response to a request for the message thread from a user. Message thread state change is collected from the client device, where the message thread state change represents an indication to automatically delete the new text entry of the message thread after the duration of a transitory display period on the client device unless an indication of a gesture applied to a display screen presenting the new text entry of the message thread is received from the client device during the transitory display period. The message thread state change is queued at the server along with additional message thread state changes associated with the collecting operation performed for additional users associated with the message thread.

Abstract: A server maintains a gallery of ephemeral messages. Each ephemeral message is posted to the gallery by a user for viewing by recipients via recipient devices. In response to a gallery view request from any of the recipient devices, the ephemeral messages in the gallery are displayed on the requesting device in automated sequence, each message being displayed for a respective display duration before display of the next message in the gallery. Each ephemeral message has an associated message availability parameter, at the expiry of which the ephemeral message is made unavailable for viewing as part of the gallery. At expiry of the message availability parameter of the last posted message, the gallery is made unavailable for viewing upon request by any recipient.

Abstract: Systems and methods for communicating and displaying collections of image and video clip content are described. In one example embodiment, a device receives interface information about a group of content collections from a server computer system. When a user inputs a selection of a first content collection, the device displays images and video clips in a sequence defined by the content collection. Each piece of content (e.g. image or video clip) is displayed for less than a threshold display time. When the device finishes playing the first content collection, the device automatically begins playing a next content collection. Additional content collections generated from content submitted by other client devices can be received from the server computer system, with autoforward play of additional content collections continuing indefinitely.

Abstract: Among other things, embodiments of the present disclosure improve the functionality of electronic messaging and imaging software and systems by determining the current activities of users based on location sensor information from the users' computing devices and generating customized media content items based on their activities. The media content can be generated for a variety of topics and shared with other users. For example, media content (e.g., images or video) can be generated and displayed on a user's computing device, as well as transmitted to other users via electronic communications, such as short message service (SMS) or multimedia service (MMS) texts and emails.

Abstract: A server has a processor and a memory storing instructions executed by the processor to maintain an ephemeral gallery of ephemeral messages, where each ephemeral message is a photograph or a video. An ephemeral message is posted to the ephemeral gallery. The ephemeral message has an associated message duration parameter and a gallery participation parameter. An ephemeral message is removed from the ephemeral gallery in response to the identification of an expired gallery participation parameter. The ephemeral gallery is eliminated upon expiration of either a gallery timer or upon expiration of the gallery participation parameter of a last message posted to the ephemeral gallery. The ephemeral gallery is preserved in response to a gesture applied to an indicium to save the ephemeral gallery to produce a preserved gallery.

Abstract: Systems and methods for communicating and displaying collections of image and video clip content are described. In one example embodiment, a device receives interface information about a group of content collections from a server computer system. When a user inputs a selection of a first content collection, the device displays images and video clips in a sequence defined by the content collection. Each piece of content (e.g. image or video clip) is displayed for less than a threshold display time. When the device finishes playing the first content collection, the device automatically begins playing a next content collection. Additional content collections generated from content submitted by other client devices can be received from the server computer system, with autoforward play of additional content collections continuing indefinitely.