Flashes: Photo Sharing for Bluesky Beta is Now Open!

Flashes: A New Visual Experience for Bluesky

A new application, Flashes, offering an alternative to Instagram and built upon the Bluesky social network, is now initiating its beta testing phase. The app was revealed several weeks ago and provides a pathway for users to move away from Meta’s social media platforms towards a more decentralized option.

Developed by Sebastian Vogelsang, based in Berlin, Flashes leverages the same foundational protocol as Bluesky – the AT Protocol (also known as atproto). Functioning as a Bluesky client, it enables the posting of photo collections, up to four images, and video clips with a maximum duration of one minute.

Seamless Integration with Bluesky

Content published on Flashes is simultaneously visible on the Bluesky network. Conversely, comments made by Bluesky users on Flashes posts are also displayed within the Flashes interface, ensuring a unified experience.

Flashes operates by curating the Bluesky timeline, specifically focusing on posts containing images and videos. Users are also given the ability to navigate between different Bluesky feeds directly within the application.

Vogelsang expressed his hope that Flashes will attract individuals who might not identify as traditional “Twitter users,” potentially broadening the Bluesky community.

He believes this app can serve as an accessible entry point into the network and the underlying protocol itself.

Leveraging Existing Code and Bluesky’s Growth

The rapid launch of Flashes’ beta was facilitated by Vogelsang’s reuse of code from his previous application, Skeets, another Bluesky client boasting over 30,000 users. By building on the Bluesky infrastructure, Flashes benefits from the expanding reach of the social networking platform.

Recently, Bluesky surpassed 30 million users and reached a milestone of 1 billion posts. Current data, tracked through Bluesky’s developer API, indicates a user base approaching 31 million.

Future Development and Features

Vogelsang intends to utilize both Flashes and Skeets to test functionalities such as push notifications, support for multiple accounts, bookmarking capabilities, and user alerts. Further enhancements planned include advanced image editing tools, support for Stories, and potentially customizable profile pages.

Long-term plans involve integrating subscription features across all his applications, ensuring users aren’t penalized for switching between different clients.

Expanding the Ecosystem

The suite of applications created by Vogelsang also includes Bluescreen, an app designed to replicate the TikTok experience within the Bluesky environment. Currently, Bluescreen is built on Bluesky, but Vogelsang is investigating the possibility of expanding both apps to interact directly with atproto.

This direct interaction would enable features like support for longer-form video content.

Currently, the Flashes beta, distributed through Apple’s TestFlight platform, is experiencing technical issues. However, Apple’s engineering team is actively working to resolve these problems.

The beta program garnered approximately 3,500 sign-ups within its first hour, demonstrating significant consumer interest. A registration form for the beta remains accessible.

Competition and Alternative Platforms

It is important to note that Flashes is not the sole application aiming to create an Instagram-like experience on open protocols. Pinksky, another Bluesky photo client, is already operational. Additionally, Pixelfed has recently launched its mobile applications, which utilize the ActivityPub protocol, also employed by Mastodon.