Facebook has relaunched the Instagram Lite app, bringing the lightweight app to 170 countries globally. And while South Africa did not receive access to the app on the first day of the global expansion, a spokesperson says that it will arrive in the coming weeks.
The new Instagram Lite app is aimed at emerging markets. It offers the “same Instagram – just 2MB”, according to the Tel-Aviv-based team who developed the app.
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The app was already piloted in markets such as India.
However, on 10 March, Facebook announced a global rollout that will prioritize emerging markets.
What is Instagram Lite?
Instagram Lite is a streamlined version of the main Instagram app, which takes up only 2MB of storage.
It is aimed at people who have memory-constrained phones, slow internet connections, or limited, expensive data packages.
To make the app more lightweight, certain features, such as ads and livestreaming, are not currently present on the app.
However, the app does have photos and video posts, Reels, Stories, IGTV, and Direct Messaging.
The app is currently only available for Android.
When will the app launch in South Africa?
Facebook did not publish a detailed list of the 170 countries receiving the app or the launch schedule.
While the app is currently live countries in India, Venezuela, and Morocco, users in South Africa will see that it’s not available.
However, a Facebook spokesperson has confirmed to Memeburn that South Africa is next on the list.
“Instagram Lite has launched in over 170 countries, and South Africa is next on our list, it will be rolled out in the next few weeks,” the spokesperson said.
Feature image: Instagram
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