Open Instagram on your phone and there’s no telling what you might see: your niece’s first steps, a celebrity’s breakfast, scenes from a city on the other side of the world.
But these interesting or inspiring scenes aren’t always available to everyone. While nearly everyone in North America — roughly 90 percent — has some level of internet access, that figure shrinks to 63 percent on a global scale, according to Internet World Stats. (Only about half the homes in India have internet access.)
And many of those people who do have internet service access it using older networks, outdated devices and unaffordable data plans.
Enter Instagram Lite, a new Android app from Facebook — Instagram’s parent — designed to give people in remote or rural areas a top-quality experience on Instagram without using too much data.
“No matter where they are, people want to be entertained and inspired by those that they love,” developer Michelle Lourie said in a Facebook news release Wednesday. “It’s difficult to do that on Instagram with an entry-level phone that has storage constraints.”
Rolling out in 170 countries, Instagram Lite requires just 2 MB to download on Android — substantially less than the traditional Instagram — while keeping the main features users of entry-level devices want: video and messaging.
According to Facebook, the team faced a number of challenges in creating the app, from dealing with the pandemic — which kept the developers from visiting target markets such as India or Brazil — to designing something with a global audience in mind. For example, many users requested a dark mode.
“For people who live in communal areas and close quarters, it’s really important to browse more privately and not bother those around them,” Lourie said.
Wednesday’s announcement comes just one day after Facebook revealed it would begin allowing a small number of users in India to use their newsfeeds to share Instagram Reels.
We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
Learn More