- Facebook Lite, a more cheaper version of the app now reaches 100 million users monthly
- This, despite having been launched only on June 2015
- The app can be accessed in areas with 2G networks and slow, unstable internet connection
A cheaper, more data-efficient version of Facebook has officially reached the mark of 100 million monthly users.
The so-called Facebook Lite, launched only on June 2015, has steadily become more preferred by users compared to the standard version, making it the fastest growing app of the social media giant.
Although the Lite version has limited functionality, it is more data-efficient and can be accessed even with phones that have limited specs.
It only takes up less than 1 MB of storage, compared to the 42 MB storage of the standard version, and can be used on 2G networks or in areas with slow and unstable connections.
Facebook Lite has gained much popularity in areas like Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and the Philippines, where the app is mostly downloaded. Less than a year since its launch, it has become available in over 150 countries and in 56 different languages.
“It’s the fastest-growing version of Facebook to reach 100 million users in under nine months. We know that cost of data and overall data usage is extremely important to people, so we’ve been working to reduce data usage for people in emerging markets when they want to access Facebook,” explained Facebook software engineer Gautam Roy, as quoted by GMA News.
In addition, the Lite version is compatible in almost all Android versions. CNet earlier pointed out that the app was designed specifically for countries “where feature phones and older, cheaper smartphones are available, but fast Internet speeds are not.”
Although it is much scaled-down compared to standard Facebook, Lite still includes features such as video playback, pinch-to-zoom photos, and even emoji support.
So far, Facebook Lite users have rated the app with an average of 4.2 stars.
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