Instagram has launched a lightweight version of its app on Google Play. As a result, it has followed in the footsteps of Facebook and Messenger.
Instagram Lite was created for users in developing nations and it’s only 573 kilobytes instead of 32MB like the main app. This means that even those with older phones or devices with small storage on the lower-end of the pricing spectrum can use it. The application’s smaller size also makes it possible for people who only have access to a slow or intermittent internet connection to download it from Google Play.
The photo-sharing social network quietly added the new Lite application into Google Play without so much as an announcement.
This probably because it’s not quite available to a lot of people yet — a spokesperson told TechCrunch that Instagram has only started testing Lite in Mexico this week: “We are testing a new version of Instagram for Android that takes up less space on your device, uses less data, and starts faster,” he said in a statement.
While the lightweight version of the app allows users to upload and view photos and Stories, as well as to use the Explore tab, it still lacks some key features. Users can’t share videos through it. The app also lacks direct messaging, most likely to save on storage space.
