Facebook Lite is a lightweight version of Facebook designed for Android devices and low-end smartphones. It provides the core Facebook experience while using less data and running smoothly on slower networks. However, Facebook Lite is not available for download on iOS devices like iPhones for a few key reasons.
Facebook Lite is only available on Android
The main reason why you can’t download Facebook Lite on an iPhone is that it was developed specifically for Android. Facebook designed Facebook Lite to provide a good experience on less powerful Android phones and unstable mobile networks. Therefore, they have only made it available through the Google Play Store for Android devices.
Facebook Lite has not been created for or optimized for iOS. There is no iOS version of Facebook Lite in the Apple App Store to download. Facebook focuses its lightweight app development on the Android platform to better serve developing markets where Android is more dominant.
Technical differences between Android and iOS
There are some key technical differences between the Android and iOS platforms that contribute to Facebook Lite not being available for iPhones.
Android allows apps like Facebook Lite to be leaner and smaller in size than comparable iOS apps. Android also gives developers more background control over data and battery usage optimizations.
iOS manages app data and battery usage more strictly in the background. This makes it harder to build super lightweight apps that use minimal data in the same way as Facebook Lite. iOS apps must abide by App Store guidelines and go through Apple’s review process.
Facebook’s priorities are focused on Android for reduced data/battery usage
Facebook prioritizes developing lighter apps for Android rather than iOS due to Android’s market share in developing nations. Android has a dominant market share in places like Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America. These are also places with less advanced telecommunications infrastructure.
Facebook Lite is aimed at minimizing data usage and improving performance in these environments. Therefore, Facebook concentrates its lightweight app efforts where they are most needed – on the Android platform.
iOS devices like iPhones are more popular in wealthier nations with strong telecoms networks. So there is less priority for Facebook to develop a lightweight iOS app.
The Facebook app already meets needs of iPhone users
The standard Facebook app for iOS already meets the needs of most iPhone users reasonably well. While not as lightweight as Facebook Lite, the main Facebook app is already engineered to deliver a smooth experience specifically for iPhones and iPads.
It has also been optimized to make responsible use of data and battery life on iOS devices. Since iPhone users already have a Facebook app that runs well, developing a separate Lite app has less priority.
Apple’s walled garden ecosystem
Part of the reason Facebook may not have created a Facebook Lite iOS app is the challenges of getting apps approved on Apple’s App Store. Apple maintains tight control over apps available on iOS.
Any Facebook Lite for iOS would have to go through Apple’s strict app review process and abide by their guidelines. Facebook may have decided it wasn’t worth allocating resources to develop an iOS-specific Lite app that still meets Apple’s requirements.
Android provides Facebook with greater flexibility and freedom in what they can include in apps like Facebook Lite.
Alternatives on iPhone for reduced data usage
While there is no dedicated Facebook Lite app for iOS, iPhone users do have some options to reduce Facebook’s mobile data and battery impact:
– Use the standard Facebook app but disable auto-playing videos and limit background app refreshing. This can be adjusted in iOS Settings.
– Access Facebook via the mobile browser version at m.facebook.com. This uses less data than the native app.
– Connect to Wi-Fi whenever possible to use less of your mobile data plan.
– Monitor your cellular data usage in iOS Settings and disable Facebook’s access if it’s using too much.
– Adjust image quality in the Facebook app Settings to ‘Data Saver’ to load lower resolution images.
Conclusion
In summary, Facebook Lite remains an Android-exclusive app primarily due to its focus on serving developing markets where Android dominates. The technical differences between Android and iOS also lend themselves to Facebook Lite’s lightweight nature better than Apple’s platform does.
iPhone users have less need for a stripped down Facebook app thanks to the well-optimized regular Facebook iOS app and the availability of Wi-Fi in wealthier nations. While not ideal for those wanting a Lite version on iOS, there are still ways to reduce Facebook’s mobile data and battery impact on iPhones for a similar experience until if Facebook ever develops a Lite iOS app.
References
[1] https://www.facebook.com/lite
[2] https://www.statista.com/statistics/274774/share-of-iphone-in-apple-s-total-revenue/
[3] https://www.idc.com/promo/smartphone-market-share
[4] https://www.statista.com/statistics/620805/smartphone-os-market-share-in-africa/
[5] https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/south-america
[6] https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/asia
[7] https://www.statista.com/statistics/263441/global-smartphone-sales-to-end-users-since-2007/
[8] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1040050/global-market-share-held-by-apple-ios-smartphones-since-2007/
[9] https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/japan
[10] https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/united-states-of-america
Comparative Data Usage
| App | Data Usage |
|---|---|
| High | |
| Facebook Lite | Low |
| Messenger | Medium |
| Messenger Lite | Low |
Mobile Market Share by Region
| Region | Android Market Share | iOS Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | 76.92% | 19.09% |
| South America | 92.85% | 6.41% |
| Asia | 84.33% | 14.05% |
| United States | 48.05% | 51.04% |
| Japan | 11.54% | 86.41% |
Data Saving Tips for Facebook on iPhone
- Use Wi-Fi whenever available to reduce cellular data usage
- Disable background app refresh for Facebook
- Turn on Low Data Mode in iOS settings
- Disable auto-playing videos in the Facebook app
- Switch the image quality to Data Saver in Facebook app settings
- Access Facebook via the mobile browser instead of the app