Facebook pulls its Poke and Camera apps from the iOS App Store

Facebook may be trying to diversify its app catalog with apps such as Messenger and Facebook Pages, but apparently not every Facebook-sanctioned app is worthy of a spot in the App Store. As noted by The Verge, the company today quietly removed its long-abandoned Poke messaging app and its Camera app that allowed users to upload photos to their Facebook account.

Both apps launched in 2012 and were infrequently updated, with Facebook Poke never seeing an update past its launch version. Facebook Camera received a few minor updates with the last one arriving in August 2013. Some of the features of the Camera app eventually were rolled into the main Facebook app, but the Poke app was all but forsaken by Facebook.

Facebook did not provide a reason for pulling Poke and Camera at this time, but it likely wanted to remove those apps that were being underutilized by its users. Facebook may be trimming its app catalog so users don’t stumble upon un-supported apps that provide a poor user experience. It also likely wants to stop supporting customers who download the abandoned apps and seek assistance when using them.

Facebook has struggled in the app marketplace, but the company has said it is committed to improving its mobile offerings. The company recently debuted its Facebook Paper app and acquired popular messaging service and app platform, WhatsApp. It also recently confirmed it was pulling messaging out the main Facebook app and integrating it into the company’s standalone Messenger app, a change that should bolster usage of its dedicated messaging app.

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