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Flashes, an Instagram alternative based on Bluesky, is available for iPhones now

Published on: 2025-11-08 18:59:46

Anyone looking for an alternative to Instagram might have a suitable candidate in Flashes, a recently launched app built on Bluesky that seems to get all the important basics right. Flashes technically launched on the App Store on February 24, but a series of updates released in the days after launch have made the app much easier to recommend. If you remember an Instagram before Meta turned it into its Facebook replacement, you have the basic gist of what Flashes is. It's an app for sharing photos and videos, with some Bluesky-flavored wrinkles, like multiple custom feeds to choose from instead of Meta's algorithm-driven default option. Ian Carlos Campbell for Engadget When you first open Flashes you'll be prompted to login with a Bluesky account or create a new one to use exclusively with Flashes. If you use your existing account, the app essentially repackages image and video posts from whoever you're currently following into an Instagram-style feed. This setup also works in rever ... Read full article.