Facebook has launched a new Android app geared towards low-end mobile devices and designed to work on 2G networks, reports TechCrunch.
The company hasn’t officially announced Facebook Lite, which explains why the free app has only reached between 10,000 and 50,000 installs since January 20 when it launched on Google Play.
Facebook Lite is currently available in Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
The app is a tiny 252KB download. It promises quick load times with efficient mobile data usage and includes Facebook’s messaging features.
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This isn’t Facebook’s first initiative in emerging markets. The company’s Internet.org app is designed to give users in Ghana, Colombia, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia free access to Web content and Facebook.
We’ve contacted the company for more details and will update this post when we hear back.
Update: A Facebook spokesperson has confirmed that the social network is “testing a version of Facebook for Android called Facebook Lite that is designed for people on 2G connections or in areas of limited internet accessibility.”
➤ Facebook Lite [Android via TechCrunch]
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