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TikTok ’s potential U.S. ban has sparked a ado of ontogenesis within the open social World Wide Web community . Several Modern app are being build that could one day help as a TikTok replacement for those who favor the exposed source , decentralized social meshwork Blueskyand the engineering that powers it , the AT Protocol .
Though theTikTok ban is presently on pauseafter President Trump gave parent company ByteDance a 75 - day extension to negotiate a deal , the fact thatthe government was capable to take down TikTok in the first placehas users worried about its future . Meanwhile , Lord and small business enterprise are accent over how the loss of TikTok could affect their income .
Building a “TikTok for Bluesky”
One solvent emerge to address the problem is Bluesky , a deconcentrate , open source social web where you could choose your own server and algorithm and adjust your moderation controls to your own needs . Plus , if you ever make up one’s mind to change servers , you may move your history easily without losing your username , acquaintance , or Emily Price Post . you’re able to even “ take to the woods your own Bluesky”by setting up a personal information serveror relay .
design for a succeeding WWW , Bluesky allows people to take back ascendency over their personal data and social activity from Big Tech — an effort also stick out by the open social ecosystem scream thefediverse , which run on a dissimilar protocol and includes apps like Mastodon and others .
There are now several new projects afoot to bring a video experience to Bluesky , whether that ’s as a video - first Bluesky node or as an entirely new app built on the same AT Protocol that Bluesky utilize .
Below are a few of the television apps in various stages of development that are focalize on ply to Bluesky drug user .
Bluescreen
Built by Berlin developer Sebastian Vogelsang , who antecedently launch the Bluesky guest app Skeets , Bluescreenis an coming app that will focalise on telecasting post to the Bluesky social internet . Similar to his Instagram substitute flash , which is also in the works , Bluescreen is being build speedily thanks to Vogelsang ’s ability to recycle some of the same computer code from Skeets .
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Vogelsang build up his first paradigm of Bluesky in just under two hours , he says , and has since been postingsneak peeksof the app on the Bluescreen account on Bluesky as it ’s further complicate .
The app features a set of interaction button similar to what TikTok has , including Likes , Comments , Saves / Bookmarks , and more .
Reelo
Reelorepresents a enceinte effort at building a TikTok - like app that appeals to Bluesky drug user , but unlike other effort , it ’s not just a level or percolate on top of Bluesky ’s exist societal web . Instead , Reelo is build up its own digest - alone app on the AT Protocol . That means Reelo will benefit from the same kind of transparency and control over your datum as on Bluesky , but it will be free of the limitations of build on top of Bluesky straight .
This allows Reelo to support more features , including longer videos of up to three minute , limited event , a music and vocalize depository library , and later , livestreaming . Users will be able to directly post their video content on the app . As the company explain in a post on Bluesky , this makes for a “ richer , more tailor video experience ” equate with other apps work up on Bluesky , like rival Skylight , for example .
However , progress its own app on AT Protocol instead of creating an app that ’s just a layer on Bluesky itself means a longer ontogeny timeline . Reelo expect to have the front end and back end fill out by the conclusion of February with a launch on March 20 , after an initial examination period .
Like most of the apps in development , Reelo also bet a lot like TikTok , with a vertical video feed and way to care , comment , and share on the correct - hand side of the screen .
Skylight
The team behind Skylight has been working to build a TikTok alternative afterMark Cuban said he was interested in backing potential startups in this blank .
The squad behind the app includes Seattle - base co - foundersVictoria ( “ Tori ” ) White , who has abackgroundinbuildingcustom site and apps , and React developerReed Harmeyer . The founder are marketing Skylight as an “ AT Protocol TikTok , ” which is technically correct because Bluesky itself range on AT Protocol .
However , by build Skylight as a stratum on top of the existing Bluesky weapons platform , the app run into limitations .
Bluesky ’s social connection define videos to up to 60 seconds in length and 50 megabit in sizing . In other words , if Skylight wants to add support for longer videos or other features , it would involve to wait for Bluesky to change its own guidelines or develop its own dedicated app built on AT Protocol . ( Skylight ’s founders declined an interview , so it ’s not clear what their long - term roadmap looks like . )
fanlight does have an advantage of sorts , as its video - focused app is already in beta testing on Io and Android , allowing early adoptive parent to try it out forward of its public release .
Videos for Bluesky
lately launch on the App Store , the generically namedVideos for Blueskyis another app build on top of Bluesky itself . This new app derive courtesy of “ MszPro , ” aka Hoshida Takiyoshi , an indie Nipponese developer .
Takiyoshi has always make love experiment , having built around 60 apps to date , including theSoraSNSapp offering compound memory access to decentralized networks Mastodon , Bluesky , Misskey , and Firefish .
Like some of the others , Videos for Bluesky lets you browse video post to the Bluesky societal connection by vertically scroll in a TikTok - corresponding user interface with familiar Like , Repost , and Reply buttons .
The app also features drug user profiles , built - in search , follow button , and its own local “ For You ” timeline boast trending video recording as well as ways to take in other television from people you follow or any impost feeds . In addition , the app is designed with an algorithm that will learn your interests over time , the developer say .
Its recent updates have tot reinforcement for other features like notification and a newfangled post composer focused on picture uploads , among other things .
With a one - time “ Pro ” unlock in - app leverage , users can access post depth psychology information and determine television from a custom timeline .
presently , it will tally NSFW filtering , a TV recorder , stylus filter , downloads , bookmark , and more .
The Videos for Blueskyapp is iOS - only , but if there ’s enough user demand , the developer will regard progress an Android version .
“ Bluesky is still a relatively new platform , but its well - document communications protocol make it well-fixed for indie developer like myself to incorporate young feature , ” Hoshida notes . “ Unlike centralised social medium , Bluesky ’s API does n’t require app maker to register for a developer account , which helps more the great unwashed skip over in and start ramp up right away . And of row , since it is open source , developers can well look into the computer code to see how to interact with various API features . ”
Later , the developer plans to ferment on other societal apps , including one for Bluesky focused on photos and a news program reviewer for the fediverse .
Flipboard’s Surf
WhileFlipboard ’s new app Surfis more than just a video collector , theapp late sum a video provender of its ownafter Bluesky added itscustom telecasting provender .
Surfinitially focalise on video post from Bluesky ’s trending video feed and others that include the hashtag # SkyTok , ” but it aims to soon personalise the provender to the end user in next development . The latter would severalise it from Bluesky ’s video feed and make it more interesting to each individual user .
Bluesky ’s video feed is useable in the Surf app , where mass can also work up their own impost feed to chase all sorts of posts across the undetermined social web , include Bluesky , Mastodon , RSS , and more .
Surf is still in private genus Beta testing , buta signup listis available for hoi polloi who are interested .
Canceled: BlueSky Reels
On 2/1/24 , Merry said he was abandoning the task . The original information is below :
BlueSky Reels ( itswebsiteis not yet live ) is another project that attend the potential for a TikTok replacement in the market . Developed byCraig Merry , the customer will indorse video only , as well as introductory user interaction . Over meter , reenforcement for other personal data servers besides Bluesky ’s own could be include .
The app ’s subject matter comes from Bluesky itself , though the goal is to total more features that Bluesky does n’t have .
“ My primary goal is to build an easy path for people to create curated feeds — with content that can be moderated immediately — much like moderation in Reddit , ” Merry excuse .
Updated after publishing to cite which undertaking have since been scrub .
