Instagram's Boomerang and Hyperlapse Removed From Google and Apple App Stores
Move come as parent Meta aims to integrate features into one app.
Boomerang is still supported in the Instagram app.
Instagram has confirmed that both the Boomerang and Hyperlapse apps have been removed from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
"We've removed support for the standalone Boomerang and Hyperlapse apps to better focus our efforts on the main app," a Meta representative said in a statement to CNET. "Boomerang is still supported in-app in Stories, and Layout remains a standalone app in the Store. We'll continue working on new ways for people to be creative and have fun on Instagram."
This follows a push by Instagram's parent company, Meta, to integrate a flurry of features into one app. For example, we've seen Facebook introduce a Craigslist-like marketplace and a Venmo-like payment system into the blue social media app. Before, Instagram was focused mostly on photo sharing but has expanded to include short-form video and e-commerce.
Instagram has integrated many additional features into the app itself, making the need for separate creative editing apps unnecessary. By keeping things to one app, it likely lessens confusion and keeps users satisfied with a singular app experience.
As first reported by TechCrunch, the removals follow Instagram's announced shutdown of IGTV, which is expected to go offline in mid-March.
According to data given to TechCrunch via Apptopia, Boomerang saw 301 million lifetime downloads on both Google Play and the App Store. Hyperlapse was limited to iOS devices, which explains its 23 million downloads. Interestingly, even as Instagram has become a one-stop shop, Boomerang was still seeing 26,000 downloads per day.