Instagram Lite quietly launches on Google Play and it takes up less space on phone

Instagram quietly launched a slimmed-down version of its app called Instagram Lite, hoping to attract more users in developing markets.

The app is currently available for Android devicesthrough Google Play.

According to its Google Play page, the size of the Instagram Lite app download is 573 KB, which is roughly half a megabyte (MB). By comparison, the iOS version of the standard Instagram app is around 82 MB. 

Users will be able to post only photos either to their feed or on personal stories. They can also explore photos or videos shared by others.

The Google Play page notes features such as messaging friends or sharing videos will be available soon.

"We are testing a new version of Instagram for Android that takes up less space on your device, uses less data, and starts faster," said Instagram in a statement.

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The introduction of a lightweight version of Instagram would open the door to more developing markets with poor wireless connectivity. In 2015, Facebook, which owns Instagram, rolled out a Lite version of its app which uses less data and installs more quickly.

Last week, Instagram revealed the service topped 1 billion users, reports TechCrunch.