Spotify launches lighter Android app for those with limited data, storage

Spotify Lite app takes 10 MB of space, allows users to set a data limit, and notifies them when the limit is reached; users can also control their song cache to free up storage

Music streaming service Spotify on Tuesday launched a lighter version of its Android app, called Spotify Lite, to make it easier for people with limited data plans and older devices or operating systems.

The lighter version of the app is optimised for slower connections and those with smaller data plans. The app is currently available for only Android devices; iOS users might have to wait for a while.

Spotify Lite app takes 10 MB of space, compared with the standard Spotify app’s 100 MB, and boasts a new feature that allows you to set a data limit. It notifies you when the limit is reached. You can also control your song cache to free up storage.

Another key difference between the standard and lighter Spotify apps is a design change; your libraries on Lite are replaced with favorites.

Spotify Lite can be downloaded separately, both by free and premium users, and used either alongside or independently from the main Spotify app on all Android phones running version 4.3 or higher.

“We announced the availability of Spotify Lite Beta in India a couple of months ago to gauge user interest, which was high. As a result, Spotify Lite is now out of the test mode and available as an app for all users in the country," Amarjit Singh Batra, Spotify managing director (India), said in a statement.

“This small and fast app will make millions of free songs more accessible to those with older mobile devices or limited storage, and those in poor internet connectivity areas, or those who just don't want to spend more data on listening to music," he added.

Spotify had silently debuted in India in February 2019 with flexible subscription plans to attract users. The music streaming app has over 2 million users in the country at present.

The app is available in 36 markets around Asia, Latin America, West Asia and Africa through Google Play.