Messenger Lite App: Its Closure and Differences from the "Regular" Messenger

Facebook Messenger Lite(Facebook)

In a recent announcement, the Messenger Lite app has been officially discontinued. A spokesperson from Meta, the parent company of Facebook, stated that the Messenger Lite app for Android ceased to be available for download since August 21st and will be fully shut down by September 18th. According to the spokesperson, users accessing the Messenger Lite app on Android are now being redirected to either Messenger or Facebook Lite for sending and receiving messages. This information was reported by KompasTekno, referencing Tech Crunch on August 25th, 2023.

Presently, users of Messenger Lite who open the app are greeted with the message "use Messenger to keep chatting." This suggests that users of Messenger Lite are being encouraged to switch to using the "regular" Messenger app. Despite still being accessible at the moment, the Messenger Lite app has disappeared from the Google Play Store. Additionally, after September 18th, active users of Messenger Lite will also lose access to the app. The discontinuation of Messenger Lite for Android might disappoint some users as Messenger Lite had several advantages over the regular Messenger app. But what exactly is Messenger Lite, and what sets it apart from its "regular" counterpart?

Understanding Messenger Lite

As the name suggests, Messenger Lite is a lightweight version of the Facebook messaging app. In simple terms, Messenger Lite can be considered a streamlined version of the Messenger app. This application was introduced by Meta (the parent company of Facebook) in 2016. Before the launch of Messenger Lite, Meta had initially released the standalone Messenger app in 2014, which was separate from the Facebook app. Through the regular Messenger app, users could exchange messages with their friends on Facebook. Then, following the release of the lightweight Facebook app, Facebook Lite, in 2015, Meta introduced Messenger Lite a year later. This lightweight Messenger app was developed to cater to a broader range of Facebook and Messenger users, particularly those with low-end smartphones. It allowed users with lower-spec devices to access the Facebook messaging service.

Differences Between Messenger Lite and the Regular Messenger

While Messenger Lite retains the core messaging functionality found in the regular Messenger app, there are notable differences between the two:

• Feature Set

Messenger Lite offers the essential messaging features like the regular Messenger app, such as sending messages. However, some features present in the regular Messenger app are reduced or absent in Messenger Lite.

• Conversations

In Messenger Lite, users can send stickers, but the animated effects of stickers are not displayed. Moreover, when sending photos in Messenger Lite, the image quality is noticeably lower. Additionally, Messenger Lite lacks the feature that allows users to manage messages received from the Facebook Marketplace. All messages in Messenger Lite, including those from the marketplace, are placed in the same section. In contrast, messages from the Facebook Marketplace in the regular Messenger app are sorted into a separate section. Furthermore, in the conversation department, Messenger Lite does not support audio and video group calls, a feature available in the regular Messenger app.

• Interface

Messenger Lite features a simpler interface compared to the regular Messenger app. It consists of three main columns: the conversation list, friend list, and settings. Unlike the regular Messenger app, Messenger Lite does not include a Stories column.

Advantages of Messenger Lite

Despite these differences, Messenger Lite has some distinct advantages over the regular Messenger app:

• App Size

One of the primary advantages of Messenger Lite is its smaller app size compared to the regular Messenger app. The reduction in various features in Messenger Lite is reflected in its smaller app size. According to information from Meta's official page, Messenger Lite has a file size of only 10 MB, while the regular Messenger app can reach up to 40 MB. This compact size makes Messenger Lite easier to download and use on a wider range of smartphones, including low-end devices with limited memory.

• Internet Usage

In addition to its smaller size, Messenger Lite is more efficient in terms of internet usage compared to the regular Messenger app. Meta claims that Messenger Lite can be accessed even with slow internet connections. This means that users in areas with slow internet speeds can still use Messenger Lite effectively.