
Instagram Lite quietly launches to find a billion more users abroad - jonbaer
https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/27/instagram-lite/
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overcast
Instagram Lite should just be the default version for everyone. I can't
imagine the missing sharing of videos and direct messaging makes up the other
54/55 of the application size.

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l5870uoo9y
Still way smaller than the massive 541.6mb Facebook app (16 times smaller to
be exact):
[https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/facebook/id284882215](https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/facebook/id284882215)

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ilovecaching
If you think about it though, Facebook is many apps in one. It's a marketplace
app, a social media app, a videos app, a specialty camera app... the list goes
on. Sure, you can call them 'features', but for other businesses these would
be entire products. Everyone complained when messenger was rolled out into its
own app (now Facebook wants me to download two apps??), so maybe the size is
justified. I don't personally use every feature, but I'm glad that I don't
have to switch apps to use marketplace and live videos, both of which I use
quite frequently.

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hackujin
Yea.... no thanks. It doesn't even have vital social features like looking up
a past event (because pictures). I tend to have to use the website. I
uninstalled the Android app and now I just use the mobile website in a
browser. I do have messenger installed cause that's what I actually use.

~~~
gnicholas
I do the same, but without Messenger installed. Just m.facebook.com and then
_request desktop site_.

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klondike_
The fact that they even need to release a "Lite" version of Facebook and
Instagram is just a testament to how bloated and slow those apps have become.

This begs the question, why doesn't Facebook just completely redo their apps?
I'm sure it wouldn't take long to achieve feature parity with the old app

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fatcatdog
Cheaper phones simply only have space for one or two 21st century apps like
Uber, Lyft, or Facebook. Saying those apps are bloated is misleading they are
just built for newer Android's/iPhones. And lite apps are aimed at cheaper
phones.

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foepys
"21st century app" has to be the most bullshit term I have heard this week.
You can build very small apps with a lot of features if you want. But when you
keep pushing JavaScript technology into stuff just to rebuild what is already
available on the platform (just in an "uncool" way), you end up with multiple
almost 300 MB apps to share some images and text.

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yathern
> But when you keep pushing JavaScript technology into stuff... you end up
> with multiple almost 300 MB apps to share some images and text

I would be hesitant to solely Javascript for the bloat of Instagram, and
related apps. On phones, typically the WebView is used - not like using
Electron where chromium + v8 is packaged with each application. A Cordova
application can easily be in the single-digit MB range.

Facebook is a native app - and is 300MB+ in size. A breakdown is available
here:

[https://blog.timac.org/2017/0410-analysis-of-the-facebook-
ap...](https://blog.timac.org/2017/0410-analysis-of-the-facebook-app-for-
ios-v-87-0/)

Mostly it comes down to the fact that app size is not a prioritization.

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fatcatdog
Agreed, expensive phones can have lots of big sized apps

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ldayley
Isn’t this what the (mobile) web app is already? I deleted the app a couple of
years ago and used the web app exclusively, it sheds much of the bloat (so
far...).

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supermdguy
That's what I was thinking, but it's not possible to post anything on the web
app.

Edit: Apparently, I'm wrong

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ldayley
It’s possible to post from the mobile site. I do it often from mobile Safari,
Firefox, etc on iOS.

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mey
That is insane...

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azinman2
Why?

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dzonga
Because I don't like being tracked. I usually use Instagram web for the few
times, I feel like using Instagram. Sounds like a PWA. even though on iOS user
experience is comparable to the app, well besides not having dm's.

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mxuribe
I wonder if this app is just a webview into their better/optimized
website...sort of like a PWA with a webview over it to come across as a
"native app"?

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grecy
I'm traveling around Africa for 2 years, and I got Facebook Lite a few months
back.

Sure, it's nice and small, and supposedly uses little data, but it hardly
works at all. It was impossible to see Notifications from my business page,
can't see or send messages without installing Messenger (ugh!)

Now I've deleted FB Lite, and I see no reason to ever get an FB or Insta app
ever again. The web versions work OK, it just means I have to dig out my
laptop.

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peterburkimsher
I use mbasic.facebook.com as a web app, and that's reliable for me on some
pretty terrible connections.

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grecy
Does it let you send/receive messages, or does it force you to install
messenger?

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peterburkimsher
I haven't installed Messenger, and it doesn't force me to do so.

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desireco42
Thank you for bringing up the PWA. Before Instagram didn't allow posting
pictures. Just opened it and added to homescreen and it works and looks just
fine. Will have it in parallel for few days, but I think Instagram is going
away and I hope much of other apps as well.

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nacho2sweet
Can I have a lite version that has photos in posted order, and doesn't have
the evil design of the LIVE VIDEO button in the top right that looks like a
DM.

Just saw an article that they are going to allow people to tag their school in
their profile? FB full circle.

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dopamean
I feel like I'm missing something. Other than the size of the application how
is the Lite version different from the original? Why wouldn't I just use Lite?

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digitalnalogika
| but currently lacks the options to share videos or Direct message friends.

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dopamean
Thanks. Not sure how I missed that...

