September 2020 marks the end of a beloved lightweight messaging app, Messenger Lite, as Facebook announces the shut down of its service for Android devices. Facebook launched Messenger Lite in 2015 in response to the ever-growing demand for light-weight and fast messaging across different mobile devices. Having been available for 4 years, it is now coming to an abrupt end.
The Messenger Lite app was designed for Android users with older devices or slower connections to easily communicate with their friends and family. It was a stripped down version of Messenger, with fewer features such as no Snapchat-like filters, slow-motion video capability or location-sharing options. Despite being a stripped down version, Messenger Lite was still popular among Android users as it proved to be a reliable messaging app providing a good performance even on older and slower devices. In addition, many users claim that chit-chatting was more ‘fun’ with its simple yet effective UI (user interface).
Unfortunately, Messenger Lite for Android will no longer be available for download after September. Reportedly, Facebook is discontinuing the app due to low user engagement. Sources close to Facebook also cited the availability of more powerful Android device nowadays as a probable reason for the impending shutdown.
For existing Messenger Lite users on Android, all user data will remain stored and accessible on Messenger. They will be notified to switch to the main Messenger app before the Lite version shuts down. Currently, there is no plan by Facebook to discontinue Messenger Lite on iOS devices, and the app will still remain available for download on the App Store.
Nevertheless, the news of the discontinuation of Messenger Lite has saddened many Android users who relied on the app for its lightweight performance. With its closure, they will now have to turn to its high performance companion app, Messenger, to continue conversing with their friends and family.
