Twitter in April launched a "lite" version of its popular mobile messaging platform. Dubbed Twitter Lite, the program was designed for emerging markets where those with spotty Internet connections could take advantage of an app that minimizes data usage, loads quicker on slower connections and is more resilient on unreliable mobile networks.
Twitter has spent the last few months adding safety and performance improvements as well as features like ranked Home timeline and GIF search. The work has paid off according to Product Manager Jesar Shah as tweets sent from Twitter Lite have increased more than 50 percent.
In September, Twitter Lite debuted on the Google Play Store in the Philippines. The limited launch provided loads of valuable feedback and now, Google is ready to bring it to more people.
Twitter Lite is being added to the Play Store in 24 additional countries: Algeria, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, Israel, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Malaysia, Nigeria, Nepal, Panama, Peru, Serbia, El Salvador, South Africa, Thailand, Tunisia, Tanzania and Venezuela.
The app's install size is under 3MB and it loads quickly on both 2G and 3G networks. And, because it doesn't use much data, it won't sip excessively from your month data allotment. There's even a data saver mode in which you can download only the images and videos you want to see.
Given the proliferation of social media today, an app that dials exposure back a bit sounds quite refreshing.