Facebook Messenger Lite becomes true rival to regular Messenger app by adding video chat
Facebook has added video chat functionality to Messenger Lite, making it the perfect alternative to the regular version of Messenger.
Messenger Lite is a slimmed down version of Messenger. It offers the standard Messenger app’s core features, such as the ability to message and call your Facebook friends, but leaves out the bloat that most users don’t need, such as games and Stories.
It also uses up less storage space and chomps through less data. But it’s only available on Android.
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Though Messenger Lite was originally designed for Facebook users with old phones and unreliable internet connectivity, many people prefer it to the full-blown version of Messenger.
The addition of video chat functionality could make it even more popular.
“Video chats are an expected and essential part of everyday communication in today’s messaging experience,” said Facebook.
“Chatting face-to-face live is perfect for those moments when you want to see and hear the voices of people you care about most – whether you’re wishing someone a happy birthday, you have some great news to share, or you spontaneously want to catch up on the day.”
To make a video call on Messenger Lite, all you need to do is open a new or existing conversation and tap the video call icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
You can also switch from an audio call to a video call midway through a conversation, by tapping the video call icon that appears in the bottom-right of the screen.
“Video chats are incredibly popular for people who use the Messenger core app. In 2017, there were 17 billion video chats in Messenger, twice as many video chats compared to 2016,” Facebook continued.
“Now people who use Messenger Lite can have the same rich and expressive face-to-face conversations as those who use the core Messenger app, no matter which technology they use or have access to.”
However, while the addition of video call functionality is a great thing, Facebook has to be careful not to ruin Lite by adding too many new features to it in the future.
Will the addition of video chat convince you to ditch Messenger for Messenger Lite? Share your thoughts with us @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
