It’s not nearly as popular as basic Messenger in the US, but according to stats from AppAnnie, it has at one point or another reached top 10 app rankings, and definitely in the top 25 of dozens of smaller countries.īut numbers from SensorTower potentially point to why Facebook is now boosting the features in the app. Messenger Lite is in over 100 countries today. Or it could be simply that this is what Facebook hopes might be the case. “Chatting face-to-face live is perfect for those moments when you want to see and hear the voices of people you care about most – whether you’re wishing someone a happy birthday, you have some great news to share, or you spontaneously want to catch up on the day.” “Video chats are an expected and essential part of everyday communication in today’s messaging experience,” Facebook notes. The first is that Lite users are starting to move onto (and expect) more advanced services. In an existing or new conversation, or during an audio call, you just tap the video icon in the corner (in messaging) or in the middle of the screen (in a call) to switch to video.Īdding video into the Lite app could be a sign of a few other things. Originally launched with a focus on Messenger’s core features - text messaging, photo and link sharing and stickers - Messenger Lite now will offer video as a quick step away from the main screen. Messenger Lite, first launched in 2015, was initially part of an effort from Facebook to build more apps to boost usage in developing countries, where mobile usage is more costly and people are more likely to use more lower-end Android devices. Lite comes in at under 10MB, meaning it installs quickly and generally uses less bandwidth to operate.

Today, the company announced that it is adding video chat into the mix.

After bringing its pared-down Android app Messenger Lite to mature markets like the US and UK last autumn, Facebook is expanding its features to ramp up engagement.

Facebook lite chat