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Facebook Messenger Lite is finally getting video chat
- Facebook updated its Messenger Lite app with video chat functionality.
- You can either start a video call from a conversation or turn a voice call into a video call.
Designed for low-end phones with minimal storage and slower internet connections, Messenger Lite now includes video chat functionality, after an update today. The app might not be as “lite” as initially intended anymore, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
The video chat function works similarly to other messaging apps. You can mute the call, turn it into a voice call, change where the audio plays through, or end the call. You can either tap the video icon in a conversation or the middle of the screen during a call to initiate video chat.
The good news is even with the update, Messenger Lite (19 MB) weighs less than half as much as the standard Messenger app (48.72 MB). That is good news for those afraid Messenger Lite would get bloated over time.
Something like video chat was inevitable. Low-end devices are more capable than in 2015, when Messenger Lite launched. With initiatives like the Telecom Infra Project, Facebook made it easier to deliver cost-effective video services to mobile consumers.
Messenger Lite initially launched as a way for Facebook to increase usage in developing countries, where mobile data comes at a premium and residents are more likely to use low-end phones. That effort is still apparent, but with its availability as an APK, Messenger Lite is also an option for folks who use the regular Messenger app’s main features and don’t care about the fluff.