Smartphones have advanced so fast that modern low-end phones are becoming more capable than older high-ends.
Back in 2016, when Meta was still called Facebook, the company introduced Messenger Lite app, a light version of Messenger aimed for older Android devices that had limited storage space and memory.
It was designed to be light on resources, offered a basic set of features for chatting, and promised to work even on slow or unstable connections.
Messenger Lite provided that combination that in turn, made it popular.
With no bloated features, it was a straightforward app, and that it worked everywhere.
For comparison, the Messenger Lite app is less than 10MB in size where as the main Messenger app is 54MB.
Fast forward to 2023, the term 'Lite' is no longer relevant.
With increasing capacity as storage, increasingly powerful hardware, modern smartphones have become more capable than ever.
Modern low-end Android devices have plenty of storage and memory available to run apps that are even way bigger than this.
Because of this, Meta wants to stop supporting Messenger Lite.
Meta started by removing Messenger Lite app from Google's Play Store.
While the app is no longer available on the official app store for Android, existing users can still using it until September 18, when the company start ceasing the app's functions and functionalities.
After that date, users are urged to download and use the fully-fledged Messenger app to keep chatting on the platform on Android.
What's worth noting, users shouldn't worry because no chats will be lost in the transition between the two apps.
While Meta didn't give any reason why Messenger Lite is being discontinued, the move is inevitable.
It makes sense.
After all, what's the point of maintaining two apps that are similar? It would be wiser for Meta to just have one Messenger app to maintain on Android.
What's more, the bigger Messenger is fully-packed, meaning that it allows Meta to collect a lot more data about its users, something that is crucial to its business.
Initially, many users don't show much of a disappointment, since they use more capable phones and live in areas with stable internet connections.
But fans of Messenger Lite are indeed complaining.
This is because some of those people use Messenger Lite not because they're restricted by their phones or connection. Instead, they use the app because of the its straightforward features, which provide only the most essentials for messaging.
The disappointment doesn't end there, because in September, Meta also wants to stop Messenger from supporting SMS.
But in return, Meta lets more people enjoy end-to-end encryption on Messenger.
For those who wish to use a more straightforward messaging app, another app from Meta, WhatsApp can be an alternative to Messenger Lite.