There have been some rumors circulating recently that Facebook may be shutting down its lightweight Facebook Lite app. Facebook Lite is a stripped-down version of the regular Facebook app, designed primarily for use in developing countries where mobile data is expensive and connectivity is spotty.
The app provides the core Facebook experience – viewing your newsfeed, managing your profile and posting updates – without all the bandwidth-hungry extras like videos, high-resolution photos and third-party content. This makes Facebook Lite much smaller in size (under 1MB) and less data-intensive to use.
Facebook Lite first launched in 2015 and has grown steadily in popularity since, especially across Asia, Africa and Latin America. As of 2018 it had over 200 million monthly active users. So if Facebook was indeed planning to discontinue Lite, this would impact a sizable user base.
In this article, we’ll examine the evidence around whether Facebook Lite might be shutting down soon, weigh up the implications if it does, and look at some potential reasons behind the decision.
Is Facebook Lite closing down?
There has been no official confirmation from Facebook about plans to close Facebook Lite at this time. However, a few key pieces of evidence have fueled speculation:
– In August 2022, SocialMediaToday reported noticing that Facebook Lite was no longer available to download on the Google Play Store in several countries including the US, UK and Canada. While the app remained live in other regions, this move fueled rumors that a global shutdown could be imminent.
– An unofficial Facebook fan page posted in September 2022 claiming that Lite would close on October 10, 2022, according to inside sources at Facebook. No corroborating evidence was provided.
– Some users of the app have reported seeing in-app messages warning about the upcoming closure date, asking them to download the regular Facebook app instead. Screenshots were posted to social media.
– Facebook’s other stripped-back app, Facebook Zero, announced in 2018 that it would be discontinued. Facebook Zero provided free access to basic Facebook services on mobile devices without data plans. This precedent added to suspicions around Lite’s future.
So in summary – there are concerning signals, but nothing definitive yet from Facebook itself about plans to shut down Lite worldwide or on October 10, 2022 specifically.
The importance of Facebook Lite
Facebook Lite has been an important access point to Facebook services for millions of users, especially in emerging markets.
Some key stats about Facebook Lite:
– Over 200 million monthly active users as of 2018
– 1MB file size vs 30MB for regular Facebook app
– Used across 130 countries, especially Asia, Africa, South America
– 4.5 star rating on Google Play store with over 500 million installs
For many users, the benefits of Lite over regular Facebook include:
– Works better on slower 2G and 3G networks compared to full Facebook
– Uses less data per session (as little as 70MB vs 500MB per month)
– Saves storage space on devices with limited built-in storage
– Extremely fast installation (under 25MB)
– Uses less memory and battery when active
This has made Facebook Lite popular both in developing countries and also among ‘data-conscious’ users worldwide. Removing this option would cut off access for many people who rely on it to use Facebook on a regular basis.
Importance in developing countries
Facebook Lite has played a vital role in increasing internet access in developing regions. In many countries, the majority of people access the internet solely via mobile devices. However, mobile data is still expensive for many. Facebook Zero and Lite helped make basic Facebook services more affordable.
For example, in Myanmar over 95% of Facebook users access it solely via mobile. Lite is estimated to account for over 30% of Facebook users there. In Africa, 35% of web traffic is attributed to Facebook Lite. Reports indicate it has over 50 million users across Africa.
Losing Lite would make it harder for people in these regions to use Facebook regularly. It may even drive some users away from Facebook altogether.
Lower carbon footprint
Research has found the average carbon footprint of using Facebook Lite for one month is 70-80% lower than regular Facebook app. This is due to the reduced data, power and bandwidth usage of the lightweight Lite version.
So removing Lite may work against Facebook’s sustainability initiatives aimed at lowering its carbon impact.
| App | Data usage | Carbon footprint |
|---|---|---|
| Facebook Lite | 70MB/month | 25g CO2e |
| Regular Facebook | 500MB/month | 125g CO2e |
Why would Facebook discontinue Lite?
Facebook has not confirmed it will be removing Lite globally. But if it did, what could be the reasoning behind phasing out their lightweight app?
Push towards cross-platform integration
Some analysts believe closing standalone apps like Lite and Zero ties into Facebook’s broader strategy to integrate cross-platform messaging and social feeds across Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Facebook itself.
Facebook founder Zuckerberg has long expressed his vision of a “social graph” that connects identity, communities and communications seamlessly across all of Facebook’s properties. Discontinuing niche offshoots aligns with consolidating everything under the central Facebook brand and app experience.
Drive more usage of main Facebook app
Facebook Lite’s target user base typically uses older, less expensive smartphones with limited storage and data. Shutting down Lite may push these users to install the full Facebook app instead.
Some see this as a shrewd strategy by Facebook to increase installation and usage of the main app in developing markets. Bringing Lite users into the main app ecosystem increases Facebook’s reach, raises its active user counts, and provides more data about user behaviors.
Reduce cost of maintaining another codebase
Running a wholly separate mobile app like Lite introduces engineering complexities for Facebook. The company has to maintain a separate codebase and ensure feature parity between Lite and main Facebook as it evolves.
Removing Lite would allow Facebook to consolidate resources into improving the core app experience. Less fragmentation across different app versions.
Incentivize transition to newer mobile tech
Facebook Lite targets users of low-end smartphones with outdated specs and limited storage. Discontinuing it may encourage these users to upgrade finally to newer and more capable devices.
In the process, Facebook could shift some cost of maintaining access from its side to the user side. Rather than Facebook supporting an app designed for dated devices, it incentivizes users to upgrade their hardware and networks to catch up with its main app.
What are the implications if Facebook Lite closes down?
If Facebook does proceed with shutting down Lite globally, what impact might this decision have?
User backlash, especially in developing countries
Removing access to Lite would likely provoke strong criticism from its user base in emerging markets who rely on the app. Many of these users have modest means and outdated devices on which Lite is their only way to access Facebook.
Facebook risks alienating millions of users who will lose a vital communication channel. This may further damage the company’s reputation in developing countries.
Loss of user data insights from developing markets
By discouraging Lite users from transitioning to the main Facebook app, the social media giant also loses out on user data and insights from these markets.
Facebook Lite provides a valuable window into internet user behaviors across developing countries in Africa, Asia, South America and beyond. Removing this lens hampers Facebook’s ability to learn from emerging markets.
Reduced market share in developing countries
The loss of the Lite user base may allow other apps to gain greater market share across developing regions. Apps like TikTok, WeChat, and Viber could attract Facebook Lite users looking for more lightweight social media and messaging options.
This could erode Facebook’s dominance of the social media landscape in parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Higher data costs for remaining users
Those Facebook Lite users who do transition to the main Facebook app will likely face significantly higher data usage and costs. In countries where data is expensive, this poses a real burden.
Some may have to reduce their Facebook usage or uninstall the app entirely if the cost becomes unmanageable.
| App | Avg. monthly data usage | Avg. monthly cost (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Facebook Lite | 70MB | $0.15 |
| Regular Facebook | 500MB | $1 |
Based on average data costs in emerging markets, regular Facebook consumes 500MB and costs around $1 per month. Facebook Lite uses 70MB costing just $0.15 on average.
Reduced internet access & adoption
The closure of Lite, along with Facebook Zero in 2018, takes away meaningful on-ramps to internet access for marginalized groups across the developing world.
Internet penetration rates may stagnate or decline without the availability of free or lightweight social media options provided by Facebook Lite and Zero.
Less support for cheaper devices
Discontinuing Lite reduces Facebook’s support for more affordable smartphones with limited storage and processing power. These devices still make up a significant portion of mobile users globally.
People will be incentivized to buy newer and more expensive phones that they may not be able to afford. This could exclude poorer groups from accessing social media entirely.
Higher environmental impact
As outlined earlier, the average carbon footprint of Facebook Lite is around 70-80% lower than the main app. With over 200 million users, removing Lite may drastically increase the emissions and environmental impact from Facebook’s mobile usage.
This would also undermine Facebook’s own environmental sustainability initiatives and commitments.
Conclusion
In summary, while Facebook has not confirmed plans to remove Facebook Lite at this stage, some concerning signals have emerged indicating this may occur soon. Shutting down Lite after eight years of steady growth would have significant repercussions.
It would impact connectivity for millions in the developing world who rely on the app for affordable access to Facebook. Other lightweight social media apps could capitalize on this gap in the market. It may also damage Facebook’s growth prospects and reputation in emerging regions.
There are plausible strategic reasons why Facebook might choose to consolidate efforts into its main app offering. But the potential backlash from users, loss of data insights, higher costs and environmental impact pose considerable risks if Lite is discontinued without an adequate transition plan.
Many will be watching closely for Facebook to definitively clarify its long term plans for supporting Lite users. For now, the future remains uncertain. This episode highlights the outsized influence Facebook’s decisions wield over global internet access.