Facebook is launching Messenger Lite, a slimmed down version of Messenger that offers the core features of Messenger for markets with slow internet speeds and a prevalence of basic Android smartphones. Facebook is launching Messenger Lite, a slimmed down version of Messenger that offers the core features of Messenger for markets with slow internet speeds and a prevalence of basic Android smartphones.

With the new standalone version of Messenger for Android, people are able to send text, photos and links to anyone using Messenger or Messenger Lite.

Messenger Lite is under 10MB, so it’s fast to install and quick to start up. It includes Messenger’s core experiences such as messaging, sending and receiving photos and links, and receiving stickers. However, users will not be able to make video or voice calls or make payments.

Messenger Lite uses the same bolt logo as Messenger, but with colors reversed. The bolt is blue with a white chat bubble background.

Messenger Lite is starting to roll out to people in Kenya, Tunisia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Venezuela. It will also launch in other countries in the coming months.

Facebook has largely saturated Western markets, including North America and Europe, and has set its sights on developing countries.

Craigslist Competitor

Facebook also today launched "Marketplace", allowing its users to buy and sell items on the social media platform.

Facebook said that the new service will roll out to everyone over 18 years of age in the United States, the UK, Australia and New Zealand on the Facebook app for iPhone and Android over the next few days.

The world's largest social media company is betting that the collective memory of the internet is rather short. Facebook started a similar service -- also called Marketplace -- in 2007, but it never took off and was offloaded to a third party called Oodle in 2009.

Facebook says it's confident the service is ready for prime-time after testing marketplace features for more than a year within Facebook groups. More than 450 million people visit buy-and-sell groups on Facebook each month, Mary Ku, director of product management, wrote in a blog post.

Facebook won't make any money off Marketplace because it's leaving buyers and sellers to transact however they wish, which can be done off the site. Starting Monday, people can get to it via a "shop" icon at the bottom of their mobile applications, but only in the U.S., U.K., Australia and New Zealand for now.

The feature will also be available on the desktop version in the coming months.