Facebook Lite expands to developed markets

A pared-down version of Facebook’s popular mobile app is set to make its debut in developed countries this week following initial rollouts in emerging markets.

Facebook Lite is already available in more than 100 countries, and Reuters reported that the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland and New Zealand will be added to the list on 16 March.

The app was first launched in 2015 with the aim of enabling users with slow mobile connections to download and use the social networking platform. In addition to taking up less storage space, Facebook Lite also consumes less data when in use while preserving standard features such as News Feed browsing and the ability to post status updates as well as liking and sharing.

Though it was developed to serve markets where 2G connectivity is more widespread, Facebook noted in a statement to Reuters some residents in developed markets can be plagued by lower connectivity levels as well: “We want to make sure everyone has the option to use this app if they want,” the company explained.