After releasing the ‘Lite’ version of their Facebook app in January last year, Facebook has today launched a lite version of their Messenger app – taking aim at ‘markets with slower than average internet speeds and a prevalence of basic Android smartphones’.
The app will be rolling out to people in Kenya, Tunisia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Venezuela first, but Facebook intends to roll it out to other countries in the future.
Facebook Messenger Lite is light in terms of size, weighing in at 10MB, so it won’t hit data plans hard to install it, but, Facebook says it includes the core Messenger experience which will let you send and receive messages, photos, links and stickers.
The app looks the same, but the logo is reversed with a Blue Lightning bolt on a White background.
Facebook is one of many tech companies including Google who are looking forward to capturing their next batch of potential users, these users are very likely going to come from emerging markets. Facebook has been delivering apps which use lower amounts of data, alongside free, though restricted, internet services in emerging markets.
Facebook Messenger Lite could possibly be a good option for anyone experiencing difficulty using the main, somewhat ungainly app. It’s not currently on Google Play yet, but that should change soon enough.
