Compact photo-sharing social media platform
Instagram Lite is the more compact alternative to Instagram, perfect for active social media users who are looking for a free photo & video sharing platform that uses less storage on your phone and less data. If you love to stay connected with your friends and family but at a lesser cost, this is the app for you.
This version of the photography app has most of the features of the base app. It doesn’t require you to register for a new account and you can even use both versions alternately, giving you options depending on your data availability.
Getting more features for less space
Designed to save space and data, the first thing you would notice is how small the download file is when you start getting Instagram Lite for your device. Once you install the app and start running it, you won’t even notice that much of a difference between this version and the base one—they basically have the same aesthetics, features, and that familiar intuitive interface.
This is perfect if you’re saving up storage space for other apps or other files, or if you simply prefer the minimalist appeal of this app both in specifications and in design. Whereas the base Instagram app has 30 – 80MB of download file upfront, the Lite version only has a 2 – 5MB download size. Of course, it’s important to note that it varies depending on the device.
Changes and limitations
Although the difference in storage and data consumption is tempting, if you have a device with good storage capacity and a steady Internet or data connection, there’s really no need to jump to Instagram Lite. Of course, the reduced size comes with fewer features and content quality. Some users have noted that when editing or saving pictures edited from the platform, the saved file becomes of lower quality.
In terms of functionality, some of the advanced features available in the base version are not available in this app. Specialized tools in the platform such as the Cube transitions and the augmented reality (AR) filters are not available in the Lite version. Similarly, Instagram Live—or the app’s live streaming feature—is also unavailable for this smaller program, making this less than ideal for people who prefer to share how they live in the moment.
There are also a number of similar features like the Trash icon that are not available as they do in the base version. Here, their icons are replaced with a simple “X” button, but the actions are the same. Small changes like this make the most of the visual differences between the two versions of the app. However, for users who only want to follow and see what other people are doing, Lite should be enough.
Should you make the switch?
Instagram Lite was designed to accommodate users with limited device and network connection capabilities to join and enjoy the growing community of fans and influencers sharing their experiences through photos and videos on the platform. This explains its adjustments in terms of download size, storage requirements, and data consumption. On the other hand, these “savings” come at the expense of more advanced features or even the quality of the media available.
