Facebook Lite is an Android app with a much smaller apk size (1.7 MB vs 88 MB) and performance and network requirements, designed for low-end Android devices. It has a large install base, especially in emerging markets.

In August 2017, the Interfaces and News Feed teams shipped an updated News Feed design on the main iOS and Android apps. Soon after, Brendon Manwaring and I (on the Interfaces design team) were tasked with adapting Facebook Lite to this new design.

The challenges were significant, as FB Lite has many design constraints: No animation, rounded corners come at performance expense, 3 type sizes with fallback for 1 type size, and icons are limited to type sizes.

We worked closely with the News Feed and Facebook Lite design and engineering teams to create solutions that were both performant and an improved user experience. Most of the new components were in testing by December 2017, and shipped in early 2018.