Here are 3 reasons you should uninstall Facebook now
The Facebook app for Android has become a monster piece of software over the years. It’s clear that as manufacturers improve phone hardware, Facebook increases the power of its mobile app to squeeze more performance out of it. After deleting the app and living a happy life without it, I’d like to present three reasons you should uninstall Facebook now.
1. It drains resources
Facebook has been a large, resource-draining app for quite some time now. Opening the app can lead to long loading times on older devices, RAM consumption is high compared with most other apps and scrolling through your news feed chews up a lot of data.
There is also the issue of battery life. Powering such a resource-intensive app requires a fair chunk of power, so you’re likely to see a tangible difference in how long your phone lasts on a single charge with and without Facebook installed.
Facebook is an essential app for many Android users, so the tax on system and battery performance might be a compromise that many of you are willing to make. But for other Facebookers, this might be more compromise than they want.
2. Facebook mobile is great
But there’s an alternative. You could uninstall – yes, uninstall – the Facebook mobile app. That would cut out most of the compromise. What does a Facebook user do when they don’t have the app?
Use Facebook mobile. In other words, Facebook in Google Chrome. There are some neat things about it. Firstly, on signing into Facebook, Chrome will ask if you want to receive push notifications directly from Facebook. If you opt-in to this, you’ll be kept updated even when you aren’t using the browser.
The design of Facebook mobile is also pretty slick. It loads at similar speeds to the app, the design is similar as well, plus videos don’t autoplay (if this is something you aren’t a fan of).
But bear in mind that some features are missing if you use Facebook in a browser. This includes Instant Articles and auto-liking posts right from the notification shade. For that, you’ll need to keep the app.
3. Phone performance will improve
I deleted the Facebook for Android app a while ago and haven’t regretted it. I’ve used Facebook in Chrome ever since and, during my testing, phone performance and battery life improved noticeably. I also lived without notifications for a time and, I have to say, it was quite nice to have a break from all the buzzing my phone used to do.
My usual daily driver is a Moto X (2nd Gen) and this phone has a relatively small battery. If your phone has a small or old battery, then you might see immediate results after uninstalling Facebook.
And hey, you could always reinstall again if you miss it.
Would you try living life without the Facebook app? If you have, did it make a difference to performance? Tell us about it in the comments.
I deleted the Facebook app a long time ago. I've used "Febu" ever since, and happy with it.
Tinfoil for Facebook is good. Light, small, no ads and no wakelocks.
Facebook Lite app for android is alternative, moreover it works with 2G network with little RAM usage.
I install messenger and also fb lite. If not only for the chat stickers and the instant loading, I would hv used fb lite only. Lite loads real slow on a 2G network and it will slow me down from replying to an emergency message.
I use tinfoil Facebook. It takes up far less space. Also works great.
I uninstalled the Facebook app from my phone eons ago because it was hogging my internal memory (over 100 MB), it was keeping my phone awake (I had to root my phone to delete Facebook because it was a system app, then I reinstalled it and used Greenify to keep it at bay), and it was draining my battery even though I hardly use Facebook at all! So even after taking all those steps, I STILL ended up uninstalling it!
Anyway, FACEBOOK LITE is what I use now. It's footprint is less than 3 MB including data. So it saves a TON of space. But there are a number of significant features that it excludes if you are a Facebook app junkie. Yet, it is perfect for me! But I heard that it is unavailable in the US. I live in Africa...I thought it was available everywhere.
...took off fb ....now got a fab 'new' old mobile ....so far no probs and my mob doesn't heat up so quickly + my 2800mah battery lasts 3 x more ....thanks AndroitPit !!
There is difference in using Facebook app & on browser. Information don't sink properly. I received notifications on browser but when I checked it in the app there was nothing. I don't know why this is happening.
I 'uninstalled' it (disabled it) from both my phone and tablet months ago cos i got fed up with the facebook app 'lying' to me and hiding articles from me which I could see when I was using the browser to view it on my pc (where I've got facebook purity addin installed in firefox which disables some of facebook's more annoying features). use the browser on my phone to view it now. Saves memory too, but does make sharing articles to it harder as facebook isn't in the sharing menu now - have to use the facebook icon on articles (not hard, just a change to what i do)
I just use it in my ES File Explorer and it includes messenger so I don't need to install it separately. Big memory saver over the FB app! Try it.
i would love to do uninstall Facebook, only if you can suggest a good alternative that could upload multiple photos and videos that is still in hi-res format..
fb app size should be around 25 mb.......n should not use much space from ram
I uninstalled FB about year ago and I have been using the browser. I did it for space reasons and I've not missed it at all. The app is unnecessary and far to large.
What about Facebook Messenger?
its ok......dont use much space...better thn fb app
Tinfoil for Facebook takes care of Messages as well.
Facebook's abusive snooping and data fishing is reason enough to skip their app. This is true of most apps that just supply a website's content. There's no good reason to download a dedicated app that's digging through your data and using your resources for their purposes. The browser is a better way to do it and provides you with greater protection.
I've never been a fan of FB, iam able to live a perfectly normal life without the hassle and need for constant attention. Seeking the next "like" forever checking to see if you missed some trivial news about someone you've never met but call a friend.
You don't use facebook but read an article about the best alternative facebook app? How very odd.
I have "Facebook Phobia". I get nervous and anxious with just the thought of using Facebook.
PRo time .. add a widget bookmark shortcut to your homescreen!
or just bookmark to homescreen
I've done that for weather sites instead of an app.
Ive been facebook appless for a long time! the only thing i cant do is upload a video. I watch me emails for updates!
I've uninstalled the app as soon as I got the phone. Back then, I wasn't even using Facebook much at all, so why keep the app? Since then, I've started using Facebook again, but always from my browser. The two main downside of not using the app is that you can't upload videos into the browser (if you can, please let me know how!) and tagging people doesn't always work. Other than that, for having tried both the app and the mobile site over time, I much prefer the mobile site as it shows me the most recent post in my news feed, as opposed to the app, who seems to be mainly putting the news on shuffle before showing them on my page. Now Messenger is a whole other story... why make such battery and resource-hungry apps?
There is another alternative it's Facebook Lite goggle it and you can side load it's not in the appstore if you live in the US only offered internationally......
I was just about to also comment on Facebook LITE and I saw your post. I uninstalled the Facebook app from my phone eons ago. Facebook Lite is what I use now. It's footprint is less than 3 MB including data. So it saves a TON of space. But there are a number of significant features that it excludes if you are a Facebook app junkie. Yet, it is perfect for me! And I did not realize that it is unavailable in the US. I live in Africa...I thought it was available everywhere.
Facebook app is being a JUNK. ._.
I think im gonna try this
I uninstalled it about two years ago and ever since I only run it in a browser. The phone is raster, more free memory and no more annoying notifications. What a bliss!
Metal for Facebook is the best, or tinfoil hat for Facebook. Nobody has to use the facebook app. Disable the built in Facebook app and your phone will run like a champ. You will walk still have access to the Fb inbox feature and after years, I can't find anything that doesn't work.
You're quite right about FB Android app draining battery resources quickly! On Marshmallow I kept seeing that WiFi was taking up the majority of battery time. I couldn't figure out what it was, putting it down to Android v 6.0, so when the update came I was hopeful. Long story short, I had to uninstall FB app in order for WiFi usage when out and about to go down. Obviously FB was doing aggressive tracking, even more so than Google.
Uninstalled a while back but then reinstalled since the mobile Web page couldn't cope with photo uploads. If this is now improved I may try again but tbh I don't have an issue with fb sucking resources usually.
Tinfoil for Facebook will upload multiple photos at the same time.
I only ever use Chrome for accesing Facebook mobile as it gives me notifications etc even when Chrome switched off. My battery now lasts almost twice as long and my mobile works very fast ever since I deleted the awful Facebook app. I do use the Facebook Messenger though
I uninstalled it a couple of weeks ago based on advice from another similar article. The mobile web version is not as nice, and I do miss the convenience that the app provides. But with my tiny Galaxy S6 battery in mind, it's been a change for the better.
I uninstaled this shit app and my tablet is alot of faster, and battery stay live longer
Got rid of it 6 months ago, best thing I ever did. Just log into the Web version a couple of times a day. Less annoying and less creepy intrusions.
There's also the Facebook Lite app, available in the play store.
It is an official FB app, Barry?
Easy for you to say, but as most of these dictatorial self serving manufacturers provide phones with poxy Face Book and Twitter embedded how do you propose I uninstall it?
If it's pre installed, just disable it, it's. not rocket science.
I can't uninstall either
go to the app like you're going to uninstall it, stop the app, clear the data and disable it (it'll ask if you want to go back to the base version, or somesuch words, say yes) this'll reduce its size, stop it autorunning and memory-hogging
I uninstalled FB a while ago and the only downside is being unable to share directly with the app. This should be noted.
I don't have Facebook but can share with Tinfoil for Facebook so maybe other alternative app will allow sharing?