Facebook apparently wants to extend Instagram’s global domination with a new lightweight app optimized for cheaper, less powerful phones: The company released a new Instagram Lite app on Google Play on June 27, which takes up just 573 Kilobytes of storage space, compared to the 30 Megabytes the regular Instagram app consumes.
“The Instagram Lite app is small, allowing you to save space on your phone and download it quickly,” the app’s description reads.
Instagram Lite supports many of the same features as the regular Instagram app, including access to the Instagram feed, stories, filters and access to Instagram’s explore tab. Messaging functionality will be added soon, according to the app listing. Notably absent from the list of features is IGTV, Instagram’s new long-form video service.
At this point, Instagram Lite can’t be downloaded from the US, and there is no word on availability for other countries. An Instagram spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday evening.
Instagram Lite wouldn’t be the first time for Facebook to launch a Lite app to reach users in markets with less powerful phones and slower broadband connections. In June of 2015, Facebook launched a dedicated Facebook Lite app for emerging markets. Nine months later, that app had already over 100 million monthly active users.
Facebook brought Facebook Lite to the US earlier this year. Last year, Facebook launched a Messenger Lite app in the US as well. Facebook Lite and Messenger Lite were downloaded 25 million and 19 million times worldwide in May alone, according to data from app analytics specialist Sensor Tower
Instagram Lite supports many of the same features as the regular Instagram app, including access to the Instagram feed, stories, filters and access to Instagram’s explore tab. Messaging functionality will be added soon, according to the app listing. Notably absent from the list of features is IGTV, Instagram’s new long-form video service.
At this point, Instagram Lite can’t be downloaded from the US, and there is no word on availability for other countries. An Instagram spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday evening.
Instagram Lite wouldn’t be the first time for Facebook to launch a Lite app to reach users in markets with less powerful phones and slower broadband connections. In June of 2015, Facebook launched a dedicated Facebook Lite app for emerging markets. Nine months later, that app had already over 100 million monthly active users.
Facebook brought Facebook Lite to the US earlier this year. Last year, Facebook launched a Messenger Lite app in the US as well. Facebook Lite and Messenger Lite were downloaded 25 million and 19 million times worldwide in May alone, according to data from app analytics specialist Sensor Tower
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