Saying that Facebook is popular is an understatement. It seems everyone and their grandmother uses the social media site. The Facebook app brings the features to your smaller devices (tablets and phones). The problem is that Facebook requires you to allow permissions that give Facebook rights to your personal information. Not everyone feels safe giving those permissions. What can you do? Try out one of these best apps like Facebook.
What Are Facebook Permissions?
When you use the Facebook app you have to allow certain permissions when you download it. Some of the permissions include:
- Access to your texts and sms messages and ability to read them.
- Access to your contacts and the ability to read and write them.
- The ability to download files to your device without telling you.
- Read, add, and change your calendar events on your device.
Facebook reassures users that there are non-nefarious reasons for these permissions. The permissions are worded in such a way that makes them sound scary, but really Facebook doesn’t use the permissions illegally. For example, access to your texts is so if you add a phone number the app can text you a security code. Another example is that allowing downloads is when Facebook provides interesting ads and news stories to your feed automatically.You still might feel a bit unsure and unsafe about these permissions. It feels likes Facebook gets complete control of your device.
If you are worried, try a Facebook alternative app.
What are Alternative Facebook Apps?
An alternative Facebook app is one that gives you all or most of the same Facebook features that you already use on the official app or website. They are different from the official app for a few reasons:
- In no way affiliated with Facebook. These apps are made by other people or companies that do not work with Facebook at all.
- Do not allow the same permissions as Facebook. They might require their own permissions but are generally a lot less scary than the official Facebook app.
- Since it is separate from the official Facebook app you aren’t giving Facebook those scary looking permissions.
- Many are lighter so they don’t drain your devices resources, battery, and data. Many Facebook app users hate how data heavy the app is and how fast it drains the device battery so a lighter app is appreciated more.
The majority of these alternative apps are what is called a “wrapper.” It is a software design term for an app that mimics a website. You download an app program that actually reads information from the website (in this case Facebook) and then shows you what it read. It is reading the mobile version of Facebook (since you are on a phone or tablet) and then shows it to you as an app.
You might ask why you don’t just go to the mobile version of Facebook instead of using a wrapper app. For one, it is easier to tap open an app than navigate to a website on your device. Second, not all features are available on the mobile version that you can get on a wrapper app. For example, some have complete messaging ability without needing the Messenger app. In the end, it is easy to say that a wrapper app takes a website and makes it act like an app.
What Are the Best Apps Like Facebook?
You want to give one of these alternative Facebook apps try? Whether a wrapper or not, you just might like the look, feel, and safer usability of one of these apps over the official Facebook app.
Metal for Facebook & Twitter:
Metal is a wrapper that offers some extra features and advancements so it doesn’t feel like a wrapper. The apps biggest claims is that it is very lightweight and doesn’t drain your battery like the official Facebook app. You can also use Metal for Twitter if you don’t want to use the official Twitter app.
Swipe for Facebook:
Swipe is very similar to Metal in that it is a wrapper with its own special features. It offers fun themes and a Do Not Disturb mode that prevents notifications from appearing during a set time. It is also light so it doesn’t drain the device battery quickly. A power saving mode saves battery even more.
Tinfoil:
Tinfoil is designed and marketed as a Facebook app that protects you from those nefarious permissions. That is where the name Tinfoil comes from. The app is like a tinfoil hat that prevents Facebook from getting into your private information.
Fast:
Fast is another Facebook alternative that mimics the official app. It has all the same features you expect from the official app but without permissions and battery sapping.
Puffin for Facebook:
The Puffin browser is a popular browser that uses compression to limit bandwidth usage and also uses cloud integration to speed up browsing speeds. You get all those same features with the Facebook app from Puffin.
SlimSocial for Facebook:
SlimSocial is another lightweight alternative Facebook app with one large difference from the rest. It is open source. Open source means anyone can get inside the workings of the app and change it as they see fit. If you have software design skills then you might like this app the best as you can change things to fit you and your needs.
Folio for Facebook:
Folio is yet another Facebook wrapper but this one lets you use several social media sites in one app. You can use Google+, Instagram, and Facebook all at once.
Toffeed for Facebook:
Toffeed is a lightweight wrapper that won’t hog the devices battery and bandwidth. It is also very up front about permissions and what they are used for so you don’t wonder and worry if you are just allowing another Facebook app to take control of you device.
These are the 8 best apps like Facebook that give you all the same features you want but without the scary permissions or battery draining that you find on the official app.
Are you worried about those scary permission on the Facebook app? Does the app drain your battery and bandwidth? If so, try one of these best apps like Facebook that don’t require permissions and are lightweight.
