We have previously discussed the apps with the worst overall performance on Android, and Facebook took first place in three categories. Mark will have to forgive us, but the quality of the code in its mobile applications leaves much to be desired, and this problem affects all supported platforms. Several users of the Android subreddit decided to run their own tests, and the results speak for themselves.
Social networks have become a critical element for mobile devices, and vice versa. The idea of not accessing a social network through a smartphone may seem crazy to millions of users, but it makes more and more sense for one reason: official apps work very badly. Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat, Facebook… the list goes on. Between performance loss and battery drain, we wonder if it's worth it to keep tolerating these applications. In some cases, users can get a better experience by downloading third-party apps (this is especially true on Windows Phone), but if we focus on Facebook, most people recommend simply removing the app from your phone, along with its companion Messenger.
The Reddit tests
This recommendation comes from the Android subreddit, where user 'pbrandes_eth' reports that removing Facebook and Messenger from his LG G4 improved performance by 15 percent. For his test, he used the DiscoMark tool, with a total of 15 repetitions, restarting the smartphone each time. Added to this are data from 'cloudbasejunkie', who managed to reduce by one second (from 3.8 to 2.8) the startup time for his main applications, a little over 25 percent. Even some iPhone 6 users entered that subreddit to share a similar opinion about Facebook on their smartphones. The solution from the social network is a 'Lite' version, but the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Alternatives to the Facebook app
Now, uninstalling Facebook from our phones does not mean we have to give up social network content entirely. All we have to do is access it through a mobile browser, and keep the experience within that environment. Other suggestions point to Tinfoil or Metal on Android, and 'Friendly' for iOS. If you decide to try something else, tell us how it went.
