With technology growing in leaps and bounds, many mobile devices are rendered obsolete too quickly and their users are left behind. For that reason, several popular apps are launching a “Lite” version that allows them to reach those users. Twitter Lite was launched in 2017 by Twitter as a solution for users with older smartphones and operating systems. This version of the app has been designed with lagging connection speeds and slower devices in mind: it takes up far less storage space than the regular Twitter app.
Benefits of Twitter Lite
The objective of this lighter version is to optimize the performance of the app, which results in a better and faster experience for the users. Twitter Lite minimizes data usage on your smartphone or tablet while still providing a fast speed when loading videos and photos.
These Lite versions of popular apps, such as Twitter, Instagram, or Spotify, aim at reaching audiences that would be left behind if these alternative options did not exist. There are regions in the world where technology takes longer to develop, and these simpler and lighter apps allow users in those areas to access information and entertainment that would otherwise be missed.
Twitter Lite, for example, has been adapted to work with 2G and 3G networks, and on older devices that do not have the latest operating systems. This app aims to cater to different users’ needs based on their location and limited access to technology.
Twitter Lite on slower networks
The objective of Twitter Lite is to be accessible to more users, even those who live in areas with slower networks and limited data plans. To make that possible, all popular bells and whistles belonging to the original app had to be deleted to minimize the use of data required to run it. This provides a fast and reliable user experience, even on 2G and 3G networks.
Features included on Twitter Lite
The features of Twitter Lite are basically the same as the regular Twitter app, that is, you can read and write tweets, follow accounts based on your personal interests, receive direct messages, edit your profile, etc. You can also upload and tweet videos and photos. Now, since this is a simpler version aimed at reducing the use of mobile data and storage space on mobile devices, there are some additional features designed with that objective in mind.
Here are some of the main characteristics of Twitter Lite:
Fast loading: Twitter Lite takes advantage of its slimmed-down structure to minimize data usage and provide a fast loading experience, even for users with slower networks.
Data-saving functionality: This feature allows users to limit the videos and images that would otherwise be downloaded automatically. With this mode, you can see a preview of the videos and images before fully downloading them, if you want to.
Offline functionality: On Twitter Lite you can access content that was previously loaded, even offline. You can also write tweets offline to be posted later on.
Push notifications: Notifications are also present on Twitter Lite so that you do not miss any important news.
Home-screen tile: The app, just like any other app, includes a home-screen button so you can access it quickly and easily.
Bottom line
Twitter Lite has been able to reach audiences that had been left behind by the normal Twitter app, which resulted in an increase in customer engagement. These simpler versions of popular and loved apps are a great solution for users who would not have access to them otherwise. And the most important thing: they are still able to provide a great, accessible, and fast user experience.
