Facebook shuts Instagram Lite to renew its structure

In a recent development, to relaunch Instagram Lite, the Parent company Facebook took down the original app. Currently, this less-than-1-GB app displays a message "Please download the Instagram App". As per the reports from Android Police, the app last featured on April 13, 2020. This indicates that the company took down the app from Google Play Store.

History of Instagram Lite

First, Facebook launched Facebook Lite in 2015, and then Messenger Lite in April 2018. Then, Instagram launched the Lite version in 2018 in Mexico. It weighed 573KB (1/55th of the full version at that time). Later, it was available in Kenya, Peru, and the Philippines. Later, many major tech companies also offered apps aimed at emerging markets, often dubbed as their “Lite” version. This included Uber, Tinder, Spotify, Twitter and others. Google does the same under the “Go” brand.

In its initial days, the app charted high in the Google Play Store. In Kenya, it was at No. 8 in the Social category on Google Play; No. 12 in Peru; No. 15 in Mexico and No. 22 in the Philippines.

The app could run on 2G internet, saved space and gave most of the functions of the original app. It had over a million downloads before the company took it down.

Present Day

The company always said that the Lite app was a “test”. Now, as per Tech Crunch reports, the company will learn from the old version and rebuild a new version of Instagram Lite. Facebook hasn't made sure when the app will come out, but they are building a new version. The exact comment was:

We are rolling back the test of the Instagram Lite app. You can start using the latest version of Instagram instead to connect with the people and things you love.

The Lite version was not available in India. But it might now be available here when the app re-releases.