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More proficient word for those looking to exit Meta ’s social app ecosystem in favour of a more open option : An independent developer is building a photo - share app for Bluesky calledFlashes . The shortly - to - launch app is power by the same technology that underpin Bluesky , the AT Protocol , and has been build up using computer code from the developer ’s earlier Bluesky node , Skeets .
When launch , Flashes could tap into growing consumer need for choice to Big Tech ’s social media monopoly . This trend has led to the adoption of candid source , decentralized apps like Mastodon and Bluesky , among others , include the recently launched Pixelfed nomadic apps , build on ActivityPub protocol , also used by Mastodon . It ’s also , in part , what ’s fueling TikTok exploiter ’ shift to theChinese app RedNote ahead of the U.S. TikTok prohibition — that is , U.S. users are signaling that they would rather use a foreign adversary ’s app than retrovert to Meta at this percentage point .
Flashes itself is base on Berlin developer Sebastian Vogelsang ’s earlier app , Skeets , his initial foray into creating consumer - facing apps for the growing social electronic internet , Bluesky , which now tops27.5 million users .
While Bluesky offers its own official mobile client , Skeets differentiated itself by focus on the needs of iPad user as well as customized accessibility features for blind and low - vision users , as that ’s one of Vogelsang ’s area of expertise .
Late last year , Vogelsang also realized there was likely to work up apps using this same codebase that would ply to Bluesky users more interested in ocular content , like photos and videos . Because Bluesky already support this case of media , it was only a thing of reconfiguring the Skeets app so its design and user user interface would look more similar to other exposure - sharing apps , like Meta ’s Instagram .
“ I think about the mind of having one base societal graph and then having just different apps plunk from that graph whatever they require to exhibit , ” Vogelsang tell TechCrunch . “ I observe it very intriguing , because before we had these tell networks . ”
He sound out newsbreak could facilitate pull in new potential Bluesky exploiter who have yet to join the societal internet because they never saw themselves as a “ Twitter somebody . ”
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“ This may give them an submission point into the internet , into the whole communications protocol , ” Vogelsang said .
However , the developer stresses that Flashes is not think of to be an Instagram clon , nor will it offer all the same features .
To make this workplace , flash simply filters Bluesky ’s exist timeline for posts with photos and video posts . ( In the future tense , Vogelsang also plans to add metadata to Flashes ’ station so Bluesky drug user would have a way to keep their provender on Bluesky ’s master app from being swamp with pic post if that became a job . )
Flashes did n’t take too prospicient to build because it was able to reprocess skeet shooting ’ existing code . The app will also be able-bodied to market to Skeets ’ survive user fundament , who have now download the app some 30,500 multiplication to date .
Vogelsang says he ’s now form to integrate subscription - base feature from both his apps so users do n’t have to give double for the premium features , like Skeets ’ bookmarks , draft copy , muting , racy button notifications , and others specific to Flashes . ( Both apps are free to practice without a subscription , we should note . )
Later , Vogelsang says he need to launch a television - only app , too , called Blue Screen .
The developer require to be able-bodied to set up flare to the public in a matter of week with a TestFlight beta arriving ahead of that . Interested users can followFlashes ’ account on Blueskyfor further update .
