Facebook has this week announced some new additions to Messenger Lite, the data-friendly version of its popular messaging app, which is now used by more than 200 million people across the world.
First off, Facebook has added animated GIFs, providing another common way to connect within the app.
As per Facebook:
"While you could receive GIFs in Messenger Lite for some time, they were not animated. Starting now, people can express themselves more in chats with family and friends by sending and playing animated GIFs. To send a GIF, use a third party keyboard (such as the Google keyboard), search for GIFs in their library, and send a more expressive message."
Facebook's also adding new customization options for group chats (middle image above), with a range of colors now available to better define your conversation. The option has been available within the main Messenger app for some time, and is now being broadened to the streamlined version.
And the last new addition is the ability to share more file types via message.
"If you’d like to share a file, picture, a video, or an audio file with friends and family, you can now do so in Messenger Lite. To share a file, tap the “+” sign, select file or video from the popup, and hit send."
Messenger Lite has become a key cog in Facebook's growth, particularly in developing markets, where the company has worked to gain a foothold ahead of competitors. By providing more ways for people to link into its family of apps, Facebook has been able to greatly expand its global footprint, and Messenger Lite has become an important element in this ongoing growth.
The addition of more features is challenging, considering Facebook needs to keep the data usage down, but the more it can provide new tools, the more it can encourage usage, and build a stronger presence in more regions.