Will Instagram's new mobile web sharing features help it to drive growth?

In a bid to drive growth in areas with slow connectivity or expensive data, Instagram has upgraded its mobile website adding core features of the main app that includes photo sharing and a lightweight version of the Explore tab.

Why new features?

Instagram has been trying to up its game ever since Snapchat has been driving engagement on its platform. Well, until now, one could only browse, Like, follow, search, and see notifications on the mobile website and desktop site but with new features, the engagement will surely see a spike.

However, despite new features there are still a few missing dots. Notably, you still cannot upload pictures from the website and features like video uploads, filters, Stories, and Direct Messaging are yet to find a way on the mobile web.

What do the new features mean?

“Instagram.com (accessed from mobile) is a web experience optimised for mobile phones. It’s designed to help people have a fuller experience on Instagram no matter what device or network they are on,” the company told TechCrunch.

In addition to above features, other updates include the web sign up, offline functionality, which have played a major role in driving Instagram to the 700 million monthly user mark.

The latest updates to the mobile version have followed in the wake of slow data penetration in developing markets. Network restrictions and storage issues on basic smartphones are also roadblocks in installing the data-intensive, storage-hungry app.

Also, the new upgrades hint at the possibility of Instagram following in the footsteps of Facebook and Messenger and introducing a 'Lite' version of its app soon.