Instagram has quietly released a “Lite” version of its Android app this week that aims to provide a better experience for those with lower-powered smartphones. The company confirmed to TechCrunch the app was being tested in Mexico and would provide a version of the social network that “takes up less space on your device, uses less data, and starts faster.”
So what exactly does that mean for the overall Instagram experience? Essentially, it’s a stripped-down version of what you’re used to. There’s a feed of photos and videos you can scroll through like normal, but you can only upload pictures from the app. Similarly, you can only upload pictures to your Story and not videos. You also can’t message other users with the app which, while is a bummer, sort of simplifies things for those who may just want to share photos with their followers.
You also won’t find any ads or extra fluff in the app, although Instagram didn’t confirm whether anything like this would be added in the future. Of course, it all had to be taken out in order to achieve Instagram Lite’s 573-kilobyte size, but considering that’s 1/55 of Instagram’s normal capacity, there’s a lot of wiggle room for the company to add features without sacrificing too much more of your phone’s storage.
When Instagram Lite formally launches in more regions, you’ll be able to download it from the Play Store here. It isn’t clear if a “Lite” version of the app is in the works for iOS, but we’ll let you know.
