I Just Deleted the Facebook App…Ask Me Why.

Ok, so I’m not crazy enough to delete Facebook from my phone completely, but I did just delete the main Facebook app off my Samsung S7.

The reason for it is that Facebook has another, smaller, version of the app called Facebook Lite.

Apparently, it’s designed for older and less powerful phones who can’t the full Facebook app, or those on slower connections.

I have a relatively new phones and operate on pretty good connections, so why did I do it?

It’s a space thing. My phone was nearing max capacity, and the main culprit were all the apps I had. I’ve tried to go through and delete ones I didn’t frequently used, but the amount of space they took up was still high. It just so happened the Facebook app was one of the largest on my phone.

Then I learned about Facebook Lite. While the main Facebook app takes up nearly 60GB, Facebook Lite takes up less than 2GB! That’s about 96.5% less space.

From HowToGeek.com:

As well as using fewer system resources, Facebook Lite is really designed to work on slow or unstable internet connections like 2G networks or in rural areas with a bad signal. To do this, it uses a lot less data by not downloading high resolution images or autoplaying videos. This has the added bonus of saving you money if you’re on a metered plan.

Surprisingly, Facebook Lite is almost as fully featured as the regular Facebook app. You can still like and comment on your friend’s posts, visit their profiles, post to your own Timeline, and do everything else you normally do.

Even with all the features present, the difference you’ll notice with Facebook Lite is the totally stripped down interface with bigger, blockier buttons and other elements. It feels pretty dated, but it is functional. On phones with smaller screens, the larger UI elements are definitely a plus, though on my Moto E4 they just feel comically oversized. In the screenshots here, Facebook Lite is on the left and the regular app is on the right.

Apparently, this is a trend among tech companies. It’s a focus on serving those in the developing world, but it serves a purpose here in the good old U-S-of-A as well.

I’m not one to care about appearances as much as I do function, so I am all in on Facebook Lite.