Messenger Lite for Android to shutdown in September

Meta is shutting down Messenger Lite, its lightweight stripped-down version of Messenger, the company has said.

The app has been removed from the Google Play Store for new users and will no longer be available for existing users after September 18, TechCrunch has reported.

“Starting August 21, people using the Messenger Lite app for Android will be directed to Messenger or FB Lite to send and receive messages on Messenger,” a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch in an email.

Launch of Messenger Lite

Meta, known as Facebook at the time, introduced Messenger Lite for Android in 2016 for users with less-powerful Android devices.

Designed to use less storage space and processing power, the app only offers Messenger’s core features.

According to the report, the news comes as Meta recently announced that Messenger is dropping SMS support next month.

The company notified users that they “will no longer be able to use Messenger to send and receive SMS messages sent by your cellular network when you update your app after September 28, 2023.”

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