June 29, 2015,
Facebook on Monday launched a new version of its app for Android phones in India. Aimed at emerging markets, ‘Facebook Lite’ is a lighter version that has been optimized for slower data connections.

“There is a large number of users who are on 2G, and one of the feedbacks we have received is that the app does not load fast on some devices. This lighter version has been developed so that the app works well across all network conditions and on all types of phones,” said Product Manager at Facebook Lite, Vijay Shankar.

He said the two important aspects of the new app are its small size (430 KB) and low data usage. “We noticed that many people who are on low-end phones are forced to delete some apps so that they can keep the Facebook app. With this lighter version, they won’t have to do that. Also, this is quick to install and load,” he said. At the backend, many functions have been tweaked so that users get the same experience as the original app but with lower data usage, he said.

The lighter version supports all core functions of the social network, like news feed, status updates, photos, messenger, notifications, etc. However, it does not support videos and there is no in-built browser.

Mr. Shankar said though the new app is primarily aimed at low-end phone users, it will come handy for high-end phone users as well, especially when they are on poor connections; for example, while travelling. The data on both remain synced.

He said one reason for developing the product for Android was its large number of users; and there was no immediate plan to develop an iOS or Windows version of Facebook Lite.