Meta’s Messenger Lite App Will Shut Down Next Month

Meta has begun informing Android customers that its Messenger Lite app will quickly be shut down utterly. This in all probability doesn’t imply a lot within the broader scheme, and can in all probability have pretty restricted affect, given the growth of community know-how.

As first reported by 9 to 5 Google, Messenger Lite customers on Android at the moment are seeing a brand new pop-up message within the app informing them that it will likely be sundown as of September 18th. Messenger Lite on iOS was shut down back in 2020.

As per 9 to 5 Google:

“For some, opening the app today reveals a fullscreen “use Messenger to keep chatting” immediate. There might be no affect to dialog historical past: ‘We all know your chats are essential to you, so all the things from Messenger Lite continues to be obtainable in Messenger.‘”

So, plainly, given the development of connective networks, Meta sees little use to maintain supporting the separate Messenger Lite app, which is designed for customers with restricted machine house, and low connectivity, with the intention to join them into the broader Meta community.

Initially launched in 2016, Messenger Lite reached 50 million Google Play Store downloads only a yr later, underlining the demand for a lo-fi model of Meta’s messaging platform in varied areas. However six years on, and with cellular adoption persevering with to rise, plainly there’s no need for the separate model of the platform anymore, with extra folks now in a position to make use of the full-functioned Messenger app to have interaction in digital chats.

We requested Meta in regards to the determination, and it offered this assertion:

“Starting August 21, people using the Messenger Lite app for Android will be directed to Messenger or FB Lite to send and receive messages on Messenger.”

So fairly quick on element, however Meta continues to be supporting Fb Lite as an possibility, at the very least in the meanwhile.

As famous, the affect will possible be minimal, given the broader growth of extra superior choices, however it’s price noting the change in Meta’s product path.

Meta, after all, can be trying to scale back prices wherever it could actually, and it could possibly be that the lesser-used Messenger Lite is solely not definitely worth the funding anymore.

So extra folks might be on Messenger as a substitute, whereas Fb Lite may see an inflow of customers. As famous by TechCrunch, Meta can be shutting down assist for SMS on Messenger subsequent month.