Facebook Lite was a slimmed-down version of the Facebook mobile app designed for people with older phones or limited data plans. It provided the core Facebook experience without all the bells and whistles that could slow down older devices or consume large amounts of data.
Facebook Lite was first released in 2015 and was available on Android devices in over 100 countries. It provided a fast, lightweight way for people to access Facebook on slower networks and cheaper smartphones. At its peak, Facebook Lite had over 200 million monthly active users.
However, in early 2022, Facebook discontinued the Facebook Lite app and removed it from the Google Play Store. This left many users wondering what happened to Facebook Lite and why Facebook decided to get rid of it.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the history of Facebook Lite, its key features, reasons why Facebook may have discontinued it, and some alternative options for people who still want a light version of Facebook.
History of Facebook Lite
Facebook first launched a slimmed-down app called Facebook for Every Phone way back in 2010. This early version was designed to provide Facebook access to people using feature phones and slower connections.
Then, in 2015, Facebook introduced Facebook Lite – a replacement for Facebook for Every Phone. Facebook Lite was targeted towards emerging markets where people were using lower-end smartphones and slower 2G and 3G networks.
Some key milestones in the history of Facebook Lite:
2015
– Facebook Lite launches on Android in select countries
2016
– Facebook Lite expands to over 100 countries
– Reaches 100 million monthly active users
2017
– Rolls out to the Google Play Store worldwide
– Adds features like Marketplace
2018
– Reaches over 200 million MAUs
– Gets a redesign with some UI changes
Early 2022
– Facebook discontinues Facebook Lite
– App removed from the Play Store
So in summary, Facebook Lite had a good 7-year run before being discontinued in 2022. It provided a popular way for people in emerging markets to access Facebook before they switched to smartphones.
Key Features of Facebook Lite
Although Facebook Lite was a stripped-down version of the full Facebook app, it still offered the core Facebook features that most people use on a daily basis. Some of the key features included:
Lightweight app size
The Facebook Lite app was less than 1MB in size, much smaller than the main Facebook app which could be over 100MB. This allowed it to install quickly and run smoothly on entry-level Android smartphones.
Data saver
Facebook Lite was designed to conserve data usage. It compressed photos and videos and enabled options like disabling auto-play videos to help minimize mobile data consumption.
Basic Facebook features
Users could access key Facebook features like their News Feed, profiles, groups, events, Pages, and push notifications. Although not as fully featured as the main app, Facebook Lite offered the essential Facebook functionality.
Messenger integration
Facebook Lite incorporated integrations with Messenger for chatting. Users could access their Messenger conversations without needing to install a separate Messenger Lite app.
Fast performance
Optimized code and stripped down design meant Facebook Lite performed better on lower-end devices compared to the full Facebook app. It provided a snappy experience on cheaper smartphones.
So in summary, Facebook Lite focused on providing a fast, data-efficient version of Facebook’s core features to appeal to users in emerging markets. Although not as fully featured, it offered the basics.
Why Did Facebook Discontinue Facebook Lite?
Facebook has not provided any official reasons for discontinuing Facebook Lite. However, there are some possible factors that may have contributed to their decision:
Declining user base
Facebook Lite’s user base peaked in 2018 and then started to decline. As more people globally switched to affordable smartphones, the need for a stripped-down Facebook declined. The app may have simply run its course.
Company focus shifting
Facebook is heavily investing in its vision for the metaverse and augmented/virtual reality technologies under its new parent company Meta. They may be deprioritizing older projects like Facebook Lite.
Push towards main Facebook app
Discontinuing Facebook Lite could be a strategy to nudge remaining users towards adopting the full-featured main Facebook app instead.
App codebase maintenance
Maintaining a separate codebase and app likely required significant engineering resources. Shutting it down could allow re-allocation of that effort.
Emerging markets using smartphones
Facebook Lite targeted emerging markets but smartphone adoption in these regions has exploded. Most people are now on capable phones that can run the main Facebook app.
So in summary, a combination of declining need, shifting company priorities, and app maintenance costs may have led Facebook to shut down Facebook Lite in 2022.
Statistics on Facebook Lite Usage
Here are some key statistics that highlight Facebook Lite’s user base and adoption over the years:
Countries Available
| 2015 Launch | 13 countries |
| 2016 Expansion | Over 100 countries |
Facebook Lite launched in just 13 countries in 2015 but rapidly expanded to over 100 countries by 2016.
User Growth
| 2016 | 100 million MAUs |
| 2018 | Over 200 million MAUs |
The app saw fast user growth in its early years, reaching 100 million monthly active users in 2016 and over 200 million MAUs by 2018.
Platform Share
| 2016 | 4.3% of total Facebook MAUs |
| 2017 | 5.2% of total Facebook MAUs |
Although a small percentage of total Facebook users, Facebook Lite accounted for 4-5% of Facebook’s user base in 2016-2017.
App Size
| Facebook Lite App | Less than 1MB |
| Main Facebook App | Over 100MB |
The lightweight Facebook Lite app was dramatically smaller than the full Facebook app, allowing it to work well on entry-level smartphones.
So in summary, Facebook Lite saw strong growth in emerging markets during its peak but remained a fairly small percentage of Facebook’s overall user base.
Alternatives to Facebook Lite
Although Facebook Lite itself is gone, there are still some options available for people looking for a lite Facebook experience:
Messenger Lite
Facebook offers a stripped-down version of Messenger called Messenger Lite. It provides data-efficient messaging and includes some basic Facebook features.
Mobile website
M.Facebook.com is the mobile-optimized version of Facebook’s website. It provides the core Facebook experience and is more lightweight than the app.
Facebook app data saver
The latest version of the Facebook app now includes data saver options to reduce data usage, video quality, and more. This provides a “lite” experience.
Android Go version (Some regions)
In a few countries, there is an Android Go version of the Facebook app designed for devices running Google’s lightweight Android Go version.
Third-party wrapper apps
Some third-party “wrapper” apps like Swipe for Facebook offer stripped down third-party interfaces over the Facebook platform.
So in summary, while Facebook Lite itself is gone, there are still alternatives to get a similar experience for low data usage and slower devices, even if they are not as robust as the discontinued Facebook Lite app.
Conclusion
Facebook Lite provided a valuable way for millions of people in emerging markets to access Facebook on entry-level devices and networks. At its peak it had over 200 million monthly users. However, Facebook discontinued the app in 2022 due to declining need as smartphone adoption increased globally.
While the standalone Facebook Lite app is gone, there are still ways to get a “Facebook Lite” experience through tools like Messenger Lite, Facebook’s mobile site, data saver options, and third-party apps. But the fully-featured, officially supported Facebook Lite app has been retired after a good 7-year run providing connectivity to users around the world.