Summary
- Flashes, a new photo-sharing app, has just gone into open beta, attracting 3,000 sign-ups within hours of launch on iOS using TestFlight.
- The app offers a familiar experience with similarities to Bluesky and Instagram interfaces.
- Flashes benefits from its close connection with Bluesky, aiming to attract more users and offer an Instagram alternative.
Bluesky is an alternative to X that has surged in popularity in recent months due to Elon Musk’s management of the social media platform previously known as Twitter. Now, a new Instagram alternative is also gaining traction, thanks to Bluesky.
Sebastian Vogelsang, an independent developer from Berlin, recently announced Flashes, a new photo-sharing app similar to Instagram that has been built using the same AT Protocol as Bluesky (via TechCrunch). The app was just released in open beta for iOS using Apple’s TestFlight service, and within a few hours, it had already attracted over 3,000 sign-ups.
However, the app’s beta invitations are temporarily closed due to a technical issue. The developer is working with Apple to get them back up soon. An Android beta is also in the works.
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A familiar photo sharing experience
Flashes’ user-interface is a mix between Bluesky and Instagram
The feed for users on Flashes is populated with content from Bluesky, as the app “filters” photos and videos from the platform for your feed. Currently, it allows posts featuring up to four photos and videos that are up to a minute-long. Additionally, users can switch between various feeds they have on Bluesky to access more personalized content.
The interface is reminiscent of Bluesky and Instagram (see above), and just like Meta’s popular image-sharing app, you can like and comment on photos, add filters, and direct message users. The app’s developer hopes Flashes will encourage more users to try out Bluesky and attract people who “never saw themselves as a Twitter person.”
Flashes being so closely intertwined with Bluesky is working to its benefit. On February 1, Bluesky announced it had reached a milestone of 30 million users and 1 billion posts. With that many people signed up and posting, there’s a good chance some of them wouldn’t mind an Instagram version of the app — which Flashes is working on delivering.
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