Love Bluesky, but wish you had an Instagram alternative too? See how the Flashes app may be exactly what you need.

More good news for those looking to exit Meta's social app ecosystem in favor of a more open alternative: An independent developer is building a

Bluesky is the hot new internet hangout for the people who got a little tired of all the horrible stuff that’s been happening on Twitter/X over the past couple of years. And now it could end up forming the basis of a new Instagram competitor, for anybody that isn’t happy about Mark Zuckerberg and Meta’s sudden pivot to more right-wing politics.

Bluesky has added a photo-sharing app named Flashes to its AT Protocol yesterday. This could be good news for users seeking an alternative to Instagram.

Openvibe's clever app that integrates multiple open social networks, including Bluesky, Mastodon, Nostr, and Threads, just got a boost toward its future

X and Bluesky both have new short form video feeds with infinite scroll and ambitions of taking on TikTok, but each one takes a slightly different approach.

Instagram recently announced CapCut video editing rival Edits, and now X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky are both rolling out vertical video feeds. "An immersive new home for videos is rolling out to users in the U.S. today," posted X's official account on Sunday.

An independent developer is working on a new Instagram-like app based on Bluesky called Flashes that will release in the coming weeks.

Bluesky was created by a Twitter co-founder as a side project, but it's now seen an influx of new users following the U.S. election and inauguration.

Bluesky also noted that developers are working on alternatives for TikTok using the AT Protocol, or Authenticated Transfer Protocol, the decentralized protocol behind the social media service. These include upcoming apps such as Tik.Blue, Skylight.Social and Bluescreen.Blue.

Bluesky is often compared to X (formerly Twitter) due to its appearance and features. Thus, according to Sebastian Vogelsang, Flashes could attract new users who have not yet joined the platform because they have never considered themselves fans of X.

Social network Bluesky is doubling down on video. After it added a new TikTok-like custom video feed last week in the wake of the U.S. ban on the popular video app (now on pause), the company on Monday announced it’s adding a new video tab to Bluesky user profiles.