Meta discontinues Messenger Lite for Android, it will be unavailable after Sep 18. Users need to install regular Messenger app instead

Suppoze@beehaw.org to Technology@beehaw.org – 496 points –

I have not found any news article on this on a whim. Because my friends and family, I need to use Facebook Messenger, and Messenger Lite was a OK client - lightweight, no unnecessary features, etc., compared to the regular Messenger app.

Now I'm a little torn, having a Meta app on my phone is already bad, but having to downgrade to the bloated Messenger app? Not sure I will make a change. What are your thoughts?

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Ever since Facebook forced the separate Messenger app, I've refused to install it. Instead, when I see a message notification, I pop into a browser, head to Facebook.com and push the desktop version. While it's clunky, I've never had to download Messenger.

Separate messaging app was the best thing they ever did. I've not had Facebook installed since.

Same. This will change nothing for me. I refuse their bullshit.

You're still using their shit, just in a very inconvenient way. In fact, you're going to their site that contains targeted ads rather than using an ad free app. What a strange hill to die on.

I have exactly one group that insists on communicating this way. Which is why this isn't a big inconvenience for me. Your point is well taken, but doesn't really apply in my case. I'm not a user of the service, which is why it's so easy for me to refuse to install it, and hopefully I can use this to pressure the group to move to discord or some other means of communication. But if not I will continue to use the desktop site rather than install an app.

I'm in the exact same position as you and take the same approach. It's a hill I'm getting a mildly stubbed toe on.

I'd rather have a slight inconvenience of seeing their ads on their website for the few moments I'd need to send a message than having their spyware of an app tracking everything I do all day long.

Not only is that not possible on both Android and iPhone nowadays, that's a myth that's never been remotely proven.

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Why? I mean it's much better to have the messenger app without all the facebook BS.

Its very easy to disregard facebook in 2023, but Messenger is still one of the more prominent messaging app.

I hate to say this, but Facebook Messenger is one of the most fully featured messaging apps. It has its own internal messaging standard that offers iMessage like features between Facebook users, and it also is one of the better SMS apps out there.

I can see why they make it its own app, it's supposed to replace other messaging apps.

Same here. I wish Disa messenger app was maintained as it was my one stop shop for a few messenger apps.

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