Facebook on Wednesday launched a “lite” version of Instagram in 170 countries that will enable people with poor internet to access the photo and video-sharing social networking service.
Instagram Lite will be available for Android-based phones and require less bandwidth than the traditional full version.
The app itself requires just 2 megabytes (MB) – versus 30 MB for Instagram – and runs even on slower 2G networks, allowing customers in parts of India, Africa, Asia, and Latin America with older internet infrastructure to access the service.
Tzach Hadar, director of product management at Facebook in Tel Aviv, where the app was largely developed noted that these are the markets where there is the greatest need.
The new Facebook Lite uses a lot less data, so if you have a small data package you are not going to run out when you use the service whilst also giving the same breadth of experience gotten on Instagram.
A lite version of Facebook itself has been available globally for five years.
In addition to the lite versions, Facebook in Tel Aviv also developed the Express WiFi service to bring internet access to about 20 countries in Africa, Asia, and South America.
Facebook’s R&D center in Tel Aviv opened in 2013 after it bought Israeli mobile app-maker Onavo for an estimated $150-$200 million.
