Instagram is probably one of the most demanding applications you have on your phone. The photo and video sharing service is popular with the younger generation but not everyone is able to fully enjoy it. The app takes up significant space and requires some decent specifications to run smoothly. This may not sound so bad for most people but considering that not everyone has a powerful or recent smartphone, it means that there are people out there who do not have the best experience when using Instagram.
To address this, the Facebook-owned company is working on a lighter application called Instagram Lite. We have seen such applications from Facebook including Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite and even From Google and Twitter. These apps are meant to give you the basic experience with some functionalities missing. This is a big deal for those who may not want the fancy features of the app but rather want it to do the basic tasks.
The news about Instagram Lite comes from TechCrunch and the publication reports that the app has actually been seen on the Google Play Store in some countries. The app is about 573 Kb in size, quite small and you can get it with some of the cheapest data bundles available in the country. For example, Safaricom has a 7MB data option available for Ksh 5. This means that you can download Instagram Lite with this option and have a few more MBs to browse around.
With Instagram Lite, you will be able to post photos, Instagram Stories, watch Stories, browse the Explore page and filter the feed. Unfortunately, it does not let you post videos or send direct messages to your friends. I am Ok with the videos part but I think not letting people send direct messages is just too much. This is an important part of Instagram even for those who want a lighter version of the app.
Instagram is currently testing the app in Mexico and will be launching it in more countries later this year. We should definitely be seeing it in Kenya when that happens.
Also Read: Facebook Messenger Lite Has Been Downloaded Over 100 Million Times From The Play Store