Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced that it will be discontinuing its Messenger Lite application for Android. The closure of the app will take effect on September 18 and users have already started to be redirected to Messenger and Facebook Lite.
Messenger Lite was initially launched in 2016 as a lightweight version of the Messenger app. It was designed to cater to older Android devices and areas with slow internet connections. The app occupied minimal storage space while still offering the essential features of the standard Messenger app.
New users will no longer find Messenger Lite available for download on the Google Play Store. Existing users have started receiving notifications informing them of the app’s discontinuation and the recommendation to switch to the main Messenger app for their messaging needs.
Since the beginning of the week, users of Messenger Lite for Android have been automatically redirected to Messenger or Facebook Lite, depending on their preferences. This redirection allows them to continue sending and receiving messages seamlessly. A spokesperson from Meta confirmed this redirection to TechCrunch.
It is worth noting that there was also a lightweight version of Messenger for iOS in the past. However, Meta decided to withdraw it in 2020, focusing primarily on the Android platform.
As the September 18 deadline approaches, users of Messenger Lite are urged to migrate to the main Messenger app or Facebook Lite to ensure uninterrupted messaging services. Meta’s decision to discontinue Messenger Lite reflects their effort to streamline their messaging offerings and provide a better user experience across their platforms.