Instagram is releasing a lightweight iteration of its flagship app that will be easier to install with dated phone specs and storage.

The weigh-in

Instagram’s lite version is roughly one fiftieth the size of its bigger, meatier brother the 33MB app, made possible by the removal of messaging and video uploading.

Cutting out features for a more accessible and streamlined product has been a growing trend in the last few years.

Lean mean social machine

Messenger and Twitter launched trimmed versions of themselves ages ago, and both have seen their user base increase.

With the new Lite app, Instagram is positioned well to attract new users who have yet to share photos online, so it could be a safer training ground for those unfamiliar with the experience.

At the moment, Instagram Lite is available for Android devices with limited availability to certain countries and can be found listed on Google Play.

What are your thoughts on the new Lite design trend? Are you surprised at the shift in targeting developing countries? Let us know in the comments below.