Instagram Lite features and limitations explained! Know details about pros and cons

Facebook has rolled out its revamped version of Instagram Lite years after pulling out the app from the Play Store. According to the organisation, the lite version of the photo-sharing app will only require up to just 2 MB of your device memory and can be used in less mobile data. And, after knowing this detail, many Instagram fans are wondering about Instagram Lite features, launch date and more. So, here is all you need to know about Instagram Lite pros and cons.

Instagram Lite pros and cons

Instagram Lite was first introduced in 2018, however, due to some unspecified reasons, the app was pulled out from Play Store. The Facebook-owned app has now been rolled out in 170 regions around the world, and the social media giant in a blog post said that “starting today, people in more than 170 countries will be able to download Instagram Lite in the Google Play Store to have a high-quality Instagram experience, no matter what network or device they’re on. We will be rolling out the app globally soon.”

The Instagram Lite app will provide services to rural and remote communities. This will help the low connectivity regions to utilize most of the features of the photo-sharing app with minimal bandwidth. Facebook explained the requirement of a lite version in a blog post by saying: "Slightly more than 63% of the world’s population is online, as opposed to nearly 90% in North America. And many of the regions that are connected do not possess the most up-to-date mobile devices, robust internet networks, or affordable data plans needed for the swift delivery of the data-rich videos and images found on Instagram. For instance, only around 50% of households in India have access to the internet." 

As the full version of the application takes around 30 MB of space with all the high-tech features, the Instagram Lite app will only use 2 MB of your device memory providing some notable features. So, below is the list of all the Instagram Lite features and limitations that you need to know before downloading the app.

Instagram Lite features

• The Instagram Lite app only takes up just 2 MB of space 
• Entry-level or smartphones with minimal specs and features will be easily able to run the application
• Inspire by Facebook Lite, the app will offload most of the code that’s running the app to the cloud.
• The Lite app will continue to have Instagram Reels, Stories, feed, DMs and some key features
• Users will be able to use GIFs and stickers

Instagram Lite limitations

• Advanced tools like Cube transitions and AR filters removed from the application
• Many icons removed from the app such as the Trash icon, however, it is replaced with a ‘X’ character to imply the same
• Instagram Lite will be available only for Android users initially
• The iOS version of the app is still not announced

Instagram Launch date

Instagram Lite has been launched in 170 countries today, March 12, 2021. However, the app is only available to Android users as of now and there is no date of confirmation about when will the iOS version rollout.