Facebook is launching a stripped-down version of its Messenger chat app aimed at emerging markets and people with older phones.

"Messenger Lite" will initially be available on Android services in Kenya, Tunisia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Venezuela.

It is aimed at people with phones which do not have enough room to store, or the ability to run, the full-featured application because of slower internet speeds or other issues.

The company did not say when it would be available in other countries or whether it is also coming to Apple devices - although Android is far more popular in emerging markets than even older iPhones.

"Facebook Lite" is already available for people whose phones are too old or too simple to run the fully-fledged Facebook.


Messenger Lite is a similarly slimmed-down version of Messenger, letting people send text, photos and links but unable to deal with more complex tasks such as video calls.

More than one billion people use Messenger each month, with Facebook pushing for it to be the main way that people send each other direct messages, rather than using the main Facebook site or app.

Image: Facebook is keen for people to move away from the site as a messaging service

David Marcus, head of messaging products at Facebook, described web-based messaging on Facebook as a "remnant of the past" and added that he "can't think of any other mobile messaging service that has a web version."

WhatsApp, the messaging app which is owned by Facebook but operated as a separate business, has also proved popular in emerging markets.

Mr Marcus said people use the apps for different reasons and they are not in direct competition.

WhatsApp also has more than one billion users, and many people use both services.