Independent developer Sebastian Vogelsang is building a photo-sharing app called Flashes, powered by the same technology that underpins Bluesky, the AT Protocol. This new app is set to launch soon, offering users an alternative to Big Tech's social media monopoly and capitalizing on the growing demand for open-source, decentralized apps.

Vogelsang's earlier app, Skeets, was a Bluesky client that focused on the needs of iPad users and provided customized accessibility features for blind and low-vision users. Recognizing the potential to build apps that cater to Bluesky users interested in visual content, Vogelsang reconfigured the Skeets app to create Flashes, which will have a design and user interface similar to other photo-sharing apps like Meta's Instagram.

Flashes is not intended to be an Instagram clone, and it will not offer all the same features. At launch, the app will support photo posts of up to four images and videos of up to 1 minute in length, just like Bluesky. Users who post to Flashes will also have their posts appear on Bluesky, and comments on those posts will feed back into the app as if it were just another Bluesky client. Flashes will also support Bluesky's direct messages.

To make this work, Flashes simply filters Bluesky's existing timeline for posts with photos and video posts. In the future, Vogelsang plans to add metadata to Flashes' posts so Bluesky users can keep their feeds on Bluesky's main app from being flooded with photo posts if that becomes a problem.

The development of Flashes didn't take long, as it was able to reuse Skeets' existing code. The app will also be able to market to Skeets' existing user base, who have now downloaded the app some 30,500 times to date. Vogelsang is working to integrate subscription-based features from both his apps so users don't have to pay twice for premium features like Skeets' bookmarks, drafts, muting, rich push notifications, and others specific to Flashes.

Later, Vogelsang plans to launch a video-only app called Blue Screen. He expects to be able to launch Flashes to the public in a matter of weeks, with a TestFlight beta arriving ahead of that. Interested users can follow Flashes' account on Bluesky for further updates.

The launch of Flashes comes at a time when consumers are increasingly looking for alternatives to Big Tech's social media monopoly. The trend has led to the adoption of open-source, decentralized apps like Mastodon and Bluesky, as well as the recently launched Pixelfed mobile apps, built on Mastodon's ActivityPub protocol. This shift is also evident in the move of TikTok users to the Chinese app RedNote ahead of the U.S. TikTok ban, signaling a desire to use alternative apps rather than return to Meta.

The implications of Flashes' launch are significant, as it could help pull in new potential Bluesky users who have yet to join the social network because they never saw themselves as a "Twitter person." As Vogelsang noted, "This may give them an entry point into the network, into the whole protocol." With Flashes, Vogelsang is offering a unique entry point into the Bluesky ecosystem, one that could potentially attract a new wave of users looking for a more open and decentralized social media experience.

In the broader context, the development of Flashes highlights the growing demand for alternatives to Big Tech's social media dominance. As consumers become increasingly wary of the data privacy and security concerns associated with traditional social media platforms, decentralized apps like Flashes are poised to capitalize on this trend. With its focus on visual content and user-friendly design, Flashes is well-positioned to tap into this demand and offer users a fresh alternative in the social media landscape.