Instagram Launches A Redesigned Android App That’s Faster And Better On More Devices

Instagram has launched version 5.1 of its app on Google Play today, with a redesign that makes for a much speedier, resource-light experience. Your profile should load in half the time, according to an official blog post announcing the news, and the whole app is half as large after the update.

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The app also has a new look, with “simplified visuals” across the experience that makes it easier for users to engage. Overall it looks like a flattened UI, which is more in keeping with what Android in general is doing, as well as with many of the changes made by OEMs to their own software.

The redesign isn’t only meant to keep things looking good and running better – it’s also meant to make Instagram accessible and pleasant to use on a wider range of hardware, including low-end smartphones and Android-powered “feature phones,” according to Instagram, as well as on larger-screened devices like the phablets every OEM under the sun seems to be making.