Whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Google, all these have a stripped down version of their standards apps. These stripped-down versions are usually called as the Lite apps or Go apps in case of Google. Talking about Facebook (FB), it has a lite version of both the main app and its Messenger. We have already compared the Facebook Messenger and its Lite version. In this post, we will compare the Facebook app and its Lite version. Launched in 2015 as an Android app, the Facebook Lite app was earlier limited to a few countries such as Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka etc. Now, the Facebook Lite app is available in other developed countries too such as United States, France, Britain etc. All the Lite apps are available on Android and not on iOS. So, let’s compare the two apps – Facebook and Facebook Lite.
App Size and Battery Usage
One of the primary differences between the two Facebook apps is their size. While the Facebook app ranges between 58-60MB, the Lite version weighs approximately 2MB. Yes, just 2MB! Unbelievable but true. Download Facebook app Download Facebook Lite app Since the Lite version weighs only 2MB, it’s fast to install and runs smoothly on low RAM phones, which is its main motive. The Lite version is also light on your battery and consumes very less battery as compared to the standard app.
User Interface
From the app icon itself, the user interfaces (UI) of the two FB apps are different. While the Facebook standard version app icon is colored blue and is called as Facebook, the Lite version app icon is white and shows up in the launcher with the name Lite. Not Facebook Lite, just Lite. The FB Lite app has smaller text and icons. This simple app lacks animations, heavy graphics, and fancy stuff present in the standard app. Thanks to all this, the Lite app feels so clean and good.
Data Usage
In addition to phones with low RAM, the Facebook Lite app is also designed for areas with a poor Internet connection. Hence, the Facebook Lite app runs smoothly on 2G networks and also reduces app data usage. Facebook has minimized unnecessary functionality in this app such as they have removed images where it wasn’t necessary to show them and have also taken care of other small things that increase data usage. It also comes with a built-in data usage monitor where you can check Facebook data usage up to 30 days.
App Speed
The Facebook Lite app is a toned-down version of the original Facebook app. Thanks to the great optimization, it loads faster than the standard Facebook app. However, individual tasks take a little bit of time as each action is a new instance. Unlike the standard version, where you tap and the next thing pops up immediately, you’ll have to wait for a second or two in the Lite version. It’s not much but you will miss the instant transition of the standard app.
Auto Refresh
Facebook Lite doesn’t support auto-refresh or autoload. Similar to slow individual transitions, refreshing the Lite app is kind of slow.
Built-in Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger has come a long way since its launch. Launched as a built-in feature in the native FB app, Messenger now comes as a separate app. One of the coolest things about the Facebook Lite app is that Facebook doesn’t force you to install Messenger as is the case with the standard app. You can use the built-in Messenger to chat with your friends. And it works fine. Of course, it doesn’t have all the Messenger features like calls, stickers, games etc., but it does the job of sending and receiving messages perfectly well.
Emoji Support
Although the Facebook lite app supports reactions and stickers, surprisingly it doesn’t support emojis. The emojis are shown as normal emoticons made of punctuation and characters.
Should You Switch?
If you use a phone with 1 or 2GB RAM or live in an area with poor Internet, then, yes. Facebook Lite is a worthy replacement for the RAM, storage, and data-hogging Facebook app. FB Lite doesn’t have any disadvantage. But, if you own a high-end phone and have a high-speed Internet, then you will miss the standard app. That’s because though the Lite app is fast overall, however, when it comes to individual actions, the app disappoints. But, at the same time, the Lite app is very clean and doesn’t include unnecessary features that have clogged the native Facebook app. So, if you’re keen on using it, we would suggest you give it some time to get used to the Facebook Lite app. Meanwhile, check this to create a Lite version of any Android app or web service.
