It weighs only 573 kilobytes (less than 1 MB), but it will be able to break through the 1 billion user mark.
I’m talking about “Instagram Lite” , the newest App for Android appeared today on Google Play App Store, without any announcement by Mark Z.
“The Instagram Lite App is small, it saves you space on your phone and you can download it quickly,” the description says.
Dedicated to developing countries, Instagram Lite is the lightweight version of the mother app: it occupies only 1/55th of the size of Instagram’s main app (32 megabytes).
The “light” version allows you to:
- Publish photos in the feed and edit them with filters,
- Share more photos with stories,
- Add text to images,
- Watching the stories of the people you follow,
- Discover stories, photos and videos you might like through the Explore tab.
- Direct message or video sharing features are not available at this time.
The growth of Instagram depends on how much it can spread in the so-called “developing areas”.
Mark Z. thought about the less rich and industrialized countries of the world and decided to give them a good opportunity to align themselves with other countries.
We needed a lighter app, which would save space on smartphones and you can download quickly even in countries where the Internet is less stable. And he did it.
Was there a better strategy than building an App that was easy to use even for people who live in places where the Internet is not easily accessible? No, sir.
Instagram Lite:
- tries to solve many of the most common problems in developing countries,
- can be easily installed even on low-powered smartphones with low storage availability,
- is also suitable for people in places with low data network coverage.
- The innovation follows some evolutions of the service, such as the functioning of the new algorithm, the introduction of IGTV and the updating of the mobile website.
There is a turmoil in Menlo Park, the trend of rapid development seems unstoppable: employees already bet among themselves on the date when they will break through the billion users. Minimum bet $5!
Description of the Lite version on Google Play Store
“Instagram is an easy way to capture and share what’s happening world. The Instagram Lite app is small and saves space on your smartphone. Follow your friends and family to see what they’re doing and discover accounts from around the world that share your same passions and interests.
According to a spokesperson for the Blue Thumb, this week the LITE version is already being tested in Mexico.
By the end of the year it will be expanding into many other countries and will have messaging and video posting capabilities.