Meta is pulling the plug on its Messenger Lite app for Android devices, including Galaxy phones and tablets. The company has started notifying Messenger Lite users that the app will no longer be available and is advising everyone to switch to the full-fledged Facebook Messenger app.
Messenger Lite will cease to be available after September 18. As of this writing, new users can no longer download the Lite app from the Play Store, but existing users can still install it on their Android and Galaxy phones, at least for a while longer.
Furthermore, some Messenger Lite users have reportedly received full-screen prompts asking them to “use Messenger to keep chatting.” (via 9to5Google)
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Today's devices should be powerful enough for the full app
Meta (then Facebook) had the idea of creating the Messenger Lite app in 2016. It was designed for low-end Android phones of that time and users in areas with unstable internet connections. Facebook promoted it as fast, being able to run efficiently, having a small file size of less than 10MB, and using less mobile data than the full version.
That was back in 2016 when low-end phones were a lot less powerful than they are today and mobile networks were not as reliable. Now, Meta may have determined that the Lite app outlived its usefulness, and the company may have concluded that killing Messenger Lite is another step toward streamlining its product lineup.
Speaking of streamlining the user experience, a few months ago, Meta announced a change that would allow users to message people directly from the Facebook app without opening Messenger.
If you're still using Messenger Lite on your Samsung device, enjoy it while you can, as Meta will shut it down on September 18.
