The Instagram Lite app was intended for countries with poor data connectivity and smartphones that struggle with processing hundreds of high quality images in any given moment. Yeah, but it’s gone now. Facebook has sent it to the farm, so to speak. While we wait for the new version of Instagram Lite to grace the world, you’ll have to use the “heavy” version of the app.

Okay but don’t go about panicking because a new version is on the way, according to a Facebook spokesperson. See, Instagram Lite was a super cool idea when it launched back in 2018. Designed to provide the experience of Instagram for users with weaker phones and slower internet access, Instagram Lite was a step forward in app accessibility. Areas such as Kenya, Peru and the Philippines all benefited from the Lite version of Instagram so now that the app has officially been shut down…well, there’s no other option than to revert back to the more system and data intensive version.

Speaking to TechCrunch, a spokesperson for Instagram’s mother company Facebook stated, “We are rolling back the test of the Instagram Lite app. You can start using the latest version of Instagram instead to connect with the people and things you love,” confirming that the app is shutting down. Yet that doesn’t mean it’s gone for good. Facebook did clarify that it was taking lessons from Instagram Lite and using them to build a new version of the app. Why they shut down the existing version is beyond us but perhaps there’s some method to their madness.

There’s no word yet on when we can expect to see this new version of Instagram Lite but if Facebook is smart they’ll make it available as soon as possible. Even people with weaker phones want the escape of perusing photos of the wider world while they’re bored and stuck at home, so one has to imagine a new version will arrive sooner rather than later.

(Source: TNW)