Instagram Lite

Instagram Lite now available in over 170 countries, dark mode coming

Damien Wilde | Mar 10 2021 - 3:00 am PT

After initially launching in India, Instagram Lite is now breaking borders and will be available in over 170 countries across the globe.

The app was launched as a way to offer a streamlined experience of the native Instagram app with “Lite” aspects and less system resources required to access the photo-sharing service. Effectively it’s just a web app in a wrapper that provides some added uploading and viewing tools not found within your browser.

It’s designed with those lacking superfast data connections and high-end smartphones in mind. That does mean that certain features are removed, with AR filters, animations, and some transitions having been removed from Instagram Lite to ensure it runs on very basic hardware and with unstable network conditions.

At 3MB in size, the Instagram Lite app is around 90% smaller than the full version of the Instagram app, yet retains much of the same “core” features. Messaging, photo filters, profiles, Stories, and even video messaging are still present. There is no denying that performance levels are lower on this stripped-back version of the photo and video sharing platform, with scrolling often being laggy when compared to the full-fat version.

Facebook confirmed that the Tel-Aviv development team that headed this wider port, tweaked the UI to make it far easier to understand for first-time smartphone users. They confirmed that the “team is already working on offering Instagram Lite in dark mode,” which will offer a “black” background with “gray text” for those who prefer muted tones.

However, the app should be available in over 170 countries around the planet from today, with a full global rollout expected over the coming months. You should be able to grab Instagram Lite from the Google Play Store right now. For those still not able to grab it in your region, you can still sideload the application from a number of reputable repositories.