With feeds free from ads and controlling algorithms, there are three new iPhone and Android social apps incoming that are set to weaken the monopoly of Big Tech
Whether motivated by government bans or in protest to the monopolies of Meta and X, consumer demand for alternatives to Big Tech apps is on the rise.
The sourcing for social network alternatives is additionally fuelled by the availability of decentralized social networks like Bluesky and Mastodon.
Bluesky’s open source framework, AT Protocol, allows individually operated communities to exist within its network. This means that developers outside the company are able to build their own social app using AT Protocol and access Bluesky’s custom algorithms.
This open social community allows users to better control their personal data and extract themselves from the tight grip of Big Tech. That said, while Meta-owned Instagram maintains its hold on the social media sphere, here are the few Bluesky-powered apps presenting themselves as promising alternatives to anyone interested in defecting.
Flashes
Built by an independent developer, Flashes is a photo-sharing app powered by Bluesky’s AT Protocol technology.
The app will support:
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Posts including photo posts of up to four images and videos up to one minute long
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Direct messaging
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Simultaneous posting on Flashes and Bluesky
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Filtering your Bluesky feed, leaving only photos and videos
Flashes launched in beta last week, now available for download on iOS using Apple’s TestFlight developer testing platform. Despite a few technical issues with the beta launch, the app is a highly attractive Instagram alternative from Berlin-based developer, Sebastian Vogelsang.
Vogelsang is also the mastermind behind the highly popular Skeets app and the budding video-app, Bluescreen. Vogelsang suggested future plans to offer a premium subscription that spans all three apps, as well as additional Flashes features like bookmarks and image-editing options and support for Stories.
Pinksky
Pinksky is another photo-first alternative for Meta defectors, powered by Bluesky’s AT Protocol network. A client app available to anyone with a Bluesky account, Pinksky’s template is very similar to Instagram’s, including a tappable Stories banner at the top of the home page.
Pinksky aims to attract users who want to connect over photos as opposed to the viral content and Reels which have taken over Instagram.
The app supports:
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Posts including both images and videos
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Stories visible for 24 hours
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Commenting on posts
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Engaging networks of friends and followers from Bluesky
Still in its early days, there are some bugs to work out.
One reviewer had the following to say: “This app is off to a great start. It has the familiar look and feel of everyone’s favorite photo sharing app. It’s noticeably new, a little slow to load, but I think it’s going to be amazing. Right now I can only see my Following feed under the feeds section. I can also only log into one account. Sometimes the likes don’t register, so I have to close and reopen the app. Just small things that I believe will improve.”
Pixelfed
Launching official mobile apps for iOS and Android last month, this app is not powered by AT Protocol or Bluesky. Instead, Pixelfed is built on another open source social networking service called Mastodon, powered by the open protocol ActivityPub.
The app supports:
The app launched to rave reviews, already exceeding 100k downloads on Google Play. In addition to being ad-free, the app outlines a focus on privacy and creating a clutter-free environment for your imagery. It also defaults to chronological feeds, without any interference from algorithms which drive Instagram and Facebook feeds.
