No, Facebook is not available in the Google Play Store. Facebook has its own dedicated app that can be downloaded from the Facebook website or app store on your device. Facebook chooses not to list its app in the Google Play Store for strategic business reasons.
Why Isn’t the Facebook App in the Google Play Store?
There are a few potential reasons why Facebook does not make its app available in the Google Play Store:
Business Strategy
Facebook likely wants users to download the app directly from Facebook in order to control the user experience and relationship. By handling downloads themselves, they can send users emails and notifications, direct them to other Facebook products, and avoid any fees charged by app stores. This gives Facebook a more direct relationship with its user base.
Competition with Google
Facebook and Google compete directly in a number of areas like advertising, user data, and mobile operating systems. By not collaborating too closely with Google Play, Facebook maintains its independence and ability to compete.
Technical Limitations
Google Play has certain technical requirements for apps like using Google’s in-app purchase system. Facebook may want to avoid being required to use Google’s proprietary systems.
Where Can You Get the Facebook App?
Since the Facebook app is not in the Google Play Store, here are the main ways to download it:
Download from the Facebook Website
The easiest way to get the Facebook app for Android is to use your Android device to visit www.facebook.com. The website will detect you are on mobile and prompt you to download the Facebook app from Facebook’s website. This is the most direct and simple way.
Use the Amazon Appstore
Facebook makes its Android app available on the Amazon Appstore. So users can download it from there if desired. The Amazon Appstore comes pre-installed on many Android devices like the Amazon Fire tablet.
Install from an APK file
Advanced users can download the APK installation file for Facebook from APK download websites. APK files allow manual installation of apps. However this option is a bit more complex and will not auto-update.
What Features Does the Facebook App Offer?
The Facebook app for Android provides the core Facebook experience and full set of features including:
Social Feed
Scroll through your personalized feed of posts from friends, family, groups, and pages you follow. Like, comment, and react to posts.
Profile
Update your own Facebook profile with photos, life events, and information about yourself. Customize how your profile looks.
Friends
Browse Facebook friends, make new connections, and manage your friends list. Message friends or start group conversations.
Groups
Join interest-based groups to connect with people who share your hobbies or beliefs. Post in the group, participate in discussions, and get updates.
Events
Create Facebook events, get invited to events, and manage your RSVPs. Use Facebook events to organize gatherings with friends.
Pages
Follow your favorite businesses, artists, organizations, and influencers via their Facebook pages. Keep up with new products, promotions, and page posts.
Notifications
Get notified of friend requests, messages, posts you’re tagged in, and other Facebook activity via notifications. Enable/disable notification types.
Watch
Watch popular Facebook videos and Facebook Live broadcasts right within the app. Discover new video content to watch based on your tastes.
Facebook Pay
Use Facebook Pay to send money, make purchases, and donate to causes securely within the Facebook app and Messenger.
Comparison to the Facebook Website
The Facebook mobile app offers the core Facebook experience similar to the desktop website, with a few differences:
App Exclusive Features
The mobile app has some exclusive features not available on the desktop website like Facebook Watch, AR effects, and Location sharing.
Streamlined Interface
The app interface is simplified for mobile with larger buttons andstreamlined menus. This makes key tasks easier on-the-go.
Push Notifications
Mobile apps enable push notifications to alert you of Facebook activity in real-time. The website relies on email notifications.
Camera Integration
Posting photos is streamlined in the app via integration with your phone’s camera and gallery. The website requires uploading photos from a computer.
Gesture Navigation
The app takes advantage of mobile gestures like swiping and tapping. The website relies on clicking and scrolling with a mouse/trackpad.
Location Awareness
The mobile app can leverage your phone’s GPS for location tagging posts, finding nearby places, event recommendations, etc. The website has no location awareness.
Facebook App vs Facebook Lite App
In addition to the main Facebook app, there is also a Facebook Lite app for Android available in the Google Play Store. Here’s how the Lite app differs:
Size
The Facebook Lite app is under 1 MB in size, much smaller than the main Facebook app. This makes it faster to download for some users.
Data Usage
Facebook Lite uses less mobile data than the full app. So it’s good for areas with limited connectivity and users with capped data.
Basic Features
Facebook Lite only includes Facebook’s basic features like the news feed, profile, groups, messaging, and notifications. More advanced features are excluded.
Performance
Facebook Lite is designed to work on budget devices and older phones. So the performance is optimized for devices with limited specs.
Google Play Availability
Unlike the main app, Facebook Lite is distributed on the Google Play Store since it targets a different user base than the full app.
Conclusion
To summarize, the official Facebook app for Android is not available in the Google Play Store. Facebook chooses to distribute it themselves via their website and third-party app stores for strategic reasons. The app provides the core Facebook experience optimized for mobile usage. For low-end Android devices, Facebook Lite offers a smaller and streamlined alternative. But most users will want to download the main Facebook app from the official Facebook website to their Android device.