14 DAY TRIAL // It looks like another major developer has decided to stop fueling any Windows Phone 8 development operations and reroute all resources to other, more profitable mobile platforms.
Instagram has decided that continuing to work on Windows Phone 8 apps is not worth it anymore, and it has removed the beta application that was available for download until recently.
Windows Phone 8 users who are now looking for Instagram will not find it anymore; not even direct links will work, which means the application has been completely removed from Windows Store’s servers.
Despite the fact that a Windows Phone 8 application has been removed, Instagram still has another app in the works, but it’s aimed at Windows 10 devices. Also, Instagram for Windows 10 is still in beta and hasn’t been yet approved for day-to-day use by developers.
Until Instagram (beta) for Windows 10 reaches a decent level of development, those who have decided to go for Microsoft’s mobile platform will have to take advantage of third-party Instagram apps like 6tag, for example.
No official announcements have been issued until now
According to MSPU, Instagram has not made any official announcement regarding the removal of its beta application for Windows Phone 8. However, the move is not really surprising since the application has been in the beta status for almost two years now.
It's probably never meant to be fully launched on Windows Phone 8, and with the release of Windows 10 Mobile, Instagram has decided that it would be better to focus on the new application rather than split resources and support two.
We’re still waiting for an official statement from Instagram, but we’re not confident the developer will provide one to those who are still using Windows Phone 8.
On the other hand, this could be a mistake and Instagram (beta) for Windows Phone 8 could be relisted in the not-so-distant future, although we doubt that.
If you’re still rocking a Windows Phone 8 handset, we believe it’s time to upgrade to a newer Windows 10 smartphone, or switch to another operating system like Android and iOS.