Facebook Releases New 'Lite' App That Uses Less Data

What users can expect from 'Facebook Lite' app.

ByABC News
January 26, 2015, 3:20 PM
A view of an Apple iPhone displaying the Facebook app's splash screen in Washington, May 10, 2012.
A view of an Apple iPhone displaying the Facebook app's splash screen in Washington, May 10, 2012.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

— -- Facebook's data-hungry mobile app is now available in a slimmed down size and is being targeted to Android users in emerging markets.

Taking up just 252 KB, the Facebook Lite app is designed to work efficiently on a 2G network and areas with limited service, providing users with a stripped down Facebook experience.

Facebook told ABC News in a statement that the company is testing the app.

Users of the app, which is available for download in the Google Play store, can expect to see fast-loading news feed stories, photos and notifications from friends, making it ideal for people with limited data plans.

PHOTO: Facebook released a smaller version of its app, called Facebook Lite.
Facebook released a smaller version of its app, called Facebook Lite.

"Keeping up with friends is faster than ever. Facebook is free and always will be," a description of the app reads in the Google Play store.

Connecting the world has been a major goal for CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his team behind the Internet.org initiative. The group has been rolling out free, limited mobile Internet access to people in developing countries, which includes the Facebook app.