Instagram Lite Relaunched: Facebook Tests App in India

Facebook is currently developing a return for the Instagram Lite application, following its discontinuation of the lightweight version globally several months ago.

The company announced on Wednesday that it is conducting trials of the redesigned Instagram Lite application specifically within India. The intention is to gather useful feedback regarding the new application before considering a broader, worldwide release at a later date.

This updated Instagram Lite application has a file size of under 2MB, aiming to provide a “quick, dependable, and responsive” user experience. The Android application supports a variety of Indian languages, including Bangla, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu. However, it presently omits several key Instagram features, such as Reels, Shopping, and IGTV.

Facebook previously ended support for the original Instagram Lite application earlier in the year. In July, Vishal Shah, Instagram’s VP of Product, informed TechCrunch that the company had identified certain problems within the app and was actively working to address them. A new Lite application was observed in testing in September, although Facebook did not publicly confirm this at the time.

Applications in a “Lite” format are particularly well-received in developing markets, where many users have limited access to advanced smartphones or affordable, high-speed mobile data. For example, the Facebook Lite application had approximately 40 million monthly active users in India last month, and the Messenger Lite application had around 13 million, according to data from App Annie shared with TechCrunch. (Instagram’s main application had about 164 million users.)

Shah revealed details about the revamped Instagram Lite application during the Facebook Fuel for India event on Wednesday. Numerous Facebook leaders, including Mark Zuckerberg and Ajit Mohan, presented several other initiatives being developed for the world’s second-largest internet market.

Instagram also unveiled the second phase of “Born on Instagram,” a program launched a year ago to assist content creators in understanding and utilizing collaborative opportunities and exploring potential monetization strategies.

“Through testing Instagram Lite, and the next iteration of Born on Instagram, our goal is to broaden access to expression and creativity for more individuals in India,” Shah stated.

During the event, Abhijit Bose, head of WhatsApp India, announced plans to launch a micro-insurance product for users in India this month. In July, WhatsApp revealed its intention to pilot credit, insurance, and pension services in India, its largest user base, over the next year and a half.

“WhatsApp is proactively engaged in several pilot programs to ensure that all adults have access to fundamental financial and livelihood services via their mobile devices. We anticipate that users will be able to purchase affordable, small-scale health insurance through WhatsApp by the end of this year,” Bose explained today. WhatsApp has partnered with SBI General for insurance coverage and HDFC Pension for pension services.

Facebook, recognizing India as its largest user market, is also collaborating with telecom leader Jio Platforms to assist millions of small businesses in establishing an online presence and conducting sales digitally. The American company, which invested $5.7 billion in Jio Platforms this year, is working to integrate Jio Platforms’ JioMart e-commerce service with WhatsApp. Facebook and Reliance representatives indicated that new features are coming to JioMart’s WhatsApp channel in the near future.