Facebook has added a Snapchat-style story feature and disappearing images to its Messenger app in the social network's latest update to rival the photo and video service.

Messenger Day will now enable users to share photos and videos with friends in the Messenger app, with the content disappearing after 24 hours - mimicking how one of Snapchat's central features - Stories - also works.

Facebook has aggressively challenged Snapchat in recent months, also adding Story-like photo and video features to its other prominent services, Instagram and WhatsApp, as the social network attempts to rival Snapchat's popularity with younger users.

"Today we are starting to roll out Messenger Day globally on Android and iOS," Facebook said of the update.

"You're always in control of who can see your day - share it with everyone, or choose specific friends and family members on Messenger. Since everything you add disappears after 24 hours, feel free to add as often as you want.

"Millions of people around the world have already used Messenger Day to show what they're doing, how they're feeling and to invite friends to join them for activities - or just to chat."

Snapchat has taken steps to broaden its own offerings recently, launching its first hardware product - video-enabled glasses called Spectacles that record and upload to a user's Snapchat account - and the firm was valued at 24 billion dollars (£19.7 billion) last week ahead of its flotation on the US stock market.