Many major online services have launched lightweight versions of their apps to offer a better experience to users in the developing world where the vast majority of people have low-end devices and network connectivity can be iffy. Facebook-owned Instagram has now joined the list as it quietly released Instagram Lite for Android on the Play Store.
“The Instagram Lite app is small, allowing you to save space on your phone and download it quickly,” reads the official app description.
The main Instagram app weighs around 32MB and offers a whole host of features such as the ability to send direct messages, make video calls, watch IGTV, and more. Instagram Lite is only 573 kilobytes and it does bring the core features.
So users will be able to post images with filters to their feed and Stories, browse the Explore tab, and watch Stories. However, Instagram Lite doesn’t offer direct messaging, video chat, and even the ability to share videos.
A spokesperson for Instagram has confirmed to TechCrunch that Instagram Lite for Android is being tested in Mexico. “We are testing a new version of Instagram for Android that takes up less space on your device, uses less data, and starts faster,” the spokesperson said. It hasn’t been confirmed as yet if ads will be served in Instagram Lite but the app will be expanded to more countries later this year and will eventually offer the ability to post videos and send messages as well.
Instagram’s parent company Facebook already has a Lite version of its app as well which it launched back in 2015 and by the end of 2017, it had gained over 200 million users across the globe. Facebook has since released Messenger Lite as well.