Facebook Announces Messenger Lite For Older Smartphones

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What Is Messenger Lite?

Weighing in at under 10 MB, Facebook Messenger Lite is a cut-down version of Facebook Messenger. Even on slower data connections, Facebook Lite is optimised to be fast to open and fast to download. It also contains sending and receiving stickers, photos and links and messaging among other essential Facebook Messenger features. Facebook also made extensive mention of how it will help expand Facebook Messenger into markets that it previously couldn’t reach and how Facebook Messenger Lite was designed with a focus on slow and unreliable network connections. However, no mention of other features was addressed in the announcement, some of which have likely been reduced in order to get down to the modest APK size that they are aiming for. Some of these omitted features include reading receipts, location sharing and calling.

Kenya among the Countries with Access to the Messenger Lite App

There are promises of more countries being added shortly, but Facebook Messenger Lite will be initially be rolled out in Kenya, Sri Lanka Venezuela Malaysia and Tunisia. It will be interesting to see what steps Facebook takes to promote in Kenya and what other countries Facebook Messenger Lite will be available. Facebook will need to take some steps to advertise Messenger Lite if they want people to actually use it, but it looks like it could be a solid product.

Likely To Exclusively Launch On Android

Facebook extensively mentioned Android in their announcement. It is possible that the lite messenger app will only launch on Android. There is still limited numbers of smartphones on other operating systems in developing markets even though many companies like Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and Mozilla have been attempting to make inroads into the market. Facebook was very careful in their launch announcement to avoid undercutting their full Facebook Messenger offering as they are aware of the reputation that Facebook Messenger has as being a bit of a resource hog.

Messaging Functionality Removed From Site

Messenger Lite is aimed at early smartphones, the likes of which are becoming rarer in the Western world. Facebook would still prefer that people use the full Messenger offering to prevent splintering though having people on Messenger Lite is helpful for the company. Facebook may decide to permanently keep country restrictions on Messenger Lite similarly to what they are currently doing with Facebook Lite.  This is as a result of many users asking for improvements in Facebook Messenger’s resource usage for some time now, and the company knows that there is a chance of people shifting from Facebook Messenger to Facebook Messenger Lite.

Not For Current Entry Level Devices

Rather than for people acquiring modern entry-level phones, Messenger Lite is intended for users that often run on lower bandwidth connections, who still own older Android devices with lower performing CPUs, little memory and have less available space. This is according to Facebook’s VP of Messaging Products, David Marcus. 

A Lightweight App

Facebook wants to see people out there that use older devices using their communication platform without encountering delays and excessive loading times. It can be simple to overlook how different those devices were from current flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, the HTC 10, or the Moto Z Force. Technology has changed substantially from back when batteries were commonly around 1200mAh, and dual core processors were just starting to hit the market. Many phones were shipped with storage space measured in Megabytes, Samsung hitting the 1 GHz mark was considered impressive. 

Users Forced To Adopt Messenger

Facebook is like a habit that most of us can't really shake. First announced in 2015, the Facebook Lite most notable workaround. Users could previously log into Facebook's mobile website to access messages. Facebook is ending this loophole. Messenger will be people's only option. The company did not announce when it would be ready for Apple devices, although Android is far more popular in developing countries even than older iPhones, which is Facebook’s target. The move comes as the social media giant moves to force users to adopt Messenger instead of the main Facebook site or app if they want to send each other direct messages.

Old Habits?

The social giant's decision to do away with the Messenger functionality and spin it off as a distinct application is not so popular. When it comes to mobile resources is no secret that Facebook likes to play fast and loose. The Messenger Lite version is proof that old habits are hard to get rid of, even for the social media giants. The Messenger Lite is, however, a good option especially in Kenya if our lagging internet speeds are anything to go by. Many people in the country are still using older devices. Hence this new product from Facebook is going to help them navigate their social circle without much hassle. 

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