Bluesky customers on Android now have entry to a brand new app that works extra like Instagram than X. On Tuesday, an app referred to as Pinksky launched an Android model of its photo-centric social networking expertise constructed on high of Bluesky.
The app is now certainly one of many trying to court docket former Instagram customers by providing an identical consumer interface to Meta’s app, however one which’s constructed on open expertise. Most of the newcomers on this house, like Pinksky, are constructing on high of the prevailing social community Bluesky, permitting them to faucet into customers’ social connections and feeds.
Nevertheless, this additionally limits the apps to Bluesky’s personal constraints of as much as 4 photographs per put up and movies of as much as one minute in size.
Pinksky’s app was constructed by developer Ramon Souza, a full-stack developer whose work has largely centered on working with net applied sciences.
He tells TechCrunch that he was impressed to construct Pinksky having already been drawn to open applied sciences like ActivityPub (the protocol powering Mastodon), and one other open social protocol Nostr. Bluesky, in the meantime, leverages the newer AT Protocol (or atproto), which is at present fostering a wave of experimentation from the indie developer neighborhood.
Nevertheless, whereas Pinksky seems and feels rather a lot like Instagram, Souza believes the apps will attain completely different audiences.
“There are a number of consumer segments inside Instagram: those that watch a variety of reels, those that comply with content material creators, and people who need to join with mates,” he explains, in response to a query from TechCrunch. “I believe Pinksky matches into the third phase — centered extra on photographs and connections moderately than viral and repetitive content material.”
In different phrases, it’s extra of a traditional, photo-sharing-focused Instagram expertise.
The app was beforehand obtainable for iOS the place it presents a well-known Instagram-like look, which incorporates consumer profiles with photographs, a feed of photographs and movies, and a Tales part, the place posts stay seen for under 24 hours. Customers can have interaction with posts by feedback and liking them, which syncs again to Bluesky’s shopper app, too.
As a result of it’s constructed on high of Bluesky, customers’ social networks will already be obtainable after they log into the app for the primary time — presuming they’ve a Bluesky account.
For now, the app is simply an experiment, however Souza says that would change if there’s additional curiosity. As an illustration, he’d take into account integration with different applied sciences, like Mastodon, Pixelfed, or Nostr, or operating his personal occasion. However as he’s at present masking the prices of Pinksky, expansions would probably have to contain some type of enterprise mannequin — like paying for premium options.
Pinksky competes with different apps being constructed on this house, together with Flashes, Pixelfed, Reelo, and others.
