Despite 4G drive, India among top adopters of Facebook Lite launched for slower 2G connections
- Facebook Lite is a lightweight version of the app that works well on slow internet connections.
- 200 million people around the world using Facebook lite every month.
FollowFacebook Lite, the stripped down version of Facebook was launched in India back in 2015. The Lite version has been pacing with numbers and within a year of achieving the 100 million milestone, Mark Zuckerberg has now announced in an official post that it has hit 200 million mark.
It is available in over 150 countries, but India, Brazil, Mexico are believed to be some of the top adopters. The company plans to continue the rollout to more nations. Amid Facebook’s net neutrality saga in India, it was the lite version that seemed a more practical solution for tackling the slower speed issues rather than data freebies for all. It was in 2015 that an Ericsson report highlighted how almost half the respondents of a survey it conducted found no difference between 2G and 3G speeds.
Facebook lite is aimed at addressing such issues related to poor Internet connectivity. India has been struggling with Internet speeds for some time now. While Jio seems to be channelling a change, it is often accused for inconsistent quality.
Lite was announced for low-end Androids, promising reliable solution to users, especially those on 2G or facing poor network issues. It tried bringing features of the native app such as News Feed, status updates, push notifications, and camera/photo integration, while still being lightweight.
Some of the improvements included were related to performance, look and feel, and easier onboarding. “When we rolled out FB Lite for a handful of countries in 2015, people started using it, and we're excited about the growth we've had. We understand that a lot of the features of FB Lite are a good fit for emerging markets, but we've seen interest in other countries as well — specifically when people want a lightweight, simple experience. The app is popular in many countries including Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and the Philippines,” Facebook statement reads.
The lite version will soon be rolled out in South Korea, UAE, Italy, and Israel, and more in the future.
