Not everyone is blessed with fast and stable internet, whether it’s data or WiFi. This means that apps and services are trying to create versions of their products that would still be usable for those who live in areas where connectivity is sometimes a problem, including developing countries. Instagram is the latest to do so as it now has an offline mode for Android devices, since 80% of its users are actually located outside of the US (not saying that the US has the fastest internet though).
During the Facebook F8 developers’ conference, Instagram announced that they will be adding an offline mode to help Instagram users still use the app despite connectivity problems. You will be able to still see the content that was previously loaded before you lost Internet. You will still be able to leave comments, like posts, save posts (although putting them into the new collections feature wasn’t mentioned), and even unfollow people.
And as soon as you get back online, all of these things will go through. The profiles you viewed before will also be visible when you’re offline, as well as old versions of the Explore tab or your own profile. This mode will allow Instagram to grow its user base, especially in countries where data is hard to come by, specifically in developing countries in Asia, Africa, South America, etc.
This strategy has worked to some extent for its mother company with Facebook Lite. Other apps like Twitter have also developed their own lite versions but it’s still too early to say, at least for Twitter, if this has been effective too. The offline mode is available for Android only for now.
VIA: Tech Crunch
