Facebook feature phone app users exceed 100 million

July 22, 2013 Facebook announced today that more than 100 million people around the world are using the company's Facebook For Every Phone app for feature phones every month.

"This is an important milestone for us," Facebook said in a statement. "Facebook's mission is to make the world more open and connected, and Facebook For Every Phone apps will enable people around the world to connect with each other and the things they care about most, no matter what type of mobile device they're using."

Facebook also said that millions of people in developing countries such as India, Indonesia and the Philippines are now accessing Facebook through the Facebook For Every Phone app without having to buy a smartphone. Facebook For Every Phone is a fast-growing and easy-to-use native app that supports more than 3,000 feature phone models, covering almost all mobile phone manufacturers. Such phones are priced as low as $20.

Facebook also wrote in the statement: "Facebook For Every Phone is a comprehensive Facebook experience that feels more like a smartphone app, including some of Facebook's most popular features, such as News Feed, Messenger, Photos, etc., while also providing a comprehensive experience for entry-level users, such as the ability to create new accounts and find new friends."

"This experience is optimized to use less data and is cheaper than other Java apps and mobile websites. We've also partnered with many mobile operators around the world to give users free or discounted access to data on the Facebook For Every Phone app."

Facebook For Every Phone uses technology developed by Snaptu, an Israeli mobile platform founded in 2007. In 2011, Snaptu was acquired by Facebook, and the original team joined the Facebook Growth Team. In July of the same year, they launched the Facebook For Every Phone app. Snaptu's platform uses the computing power of servers to improve and optimize the working methods of mobile applications, playing an important role in providing excellent experience to users of low-end devices.

Facebook concluded its statement: "In just two years, Facebook For Every Phone has made Facebook accessible to millions of people around the world with limited internet access, giving them the power to connect and share."