Another great social media migration could be upon us. First, there was the massive move from X (which I will forever call Twitter) to Bluesky following the results of the 2024 Presidential election and the ongoing decline on the app overall. It’s a move that’s made many folks much happier, myself included. The TikTok ban news is also sending people to Xiaohongshu a.k.a. RedNote, a Chinese social app that centers on video content. Now, in the wake of Meta’s fact-checking, moderation, and hate speech changes that will no longer offer certain protections, quite a few people are ready to walk away from Facebook and Instagram. While there isn’t a replacement for Facebook, TechCrunch reports that Bluesky will offer a potential one for Instagram called Flashes.
Developer Sebastian Vogelsang is building the Flashes app using Bluesky’s AT Protocol. Posts added to Flashes will also appear on a Bluesky user’s account and photos that they post on Bluesky will come over to Flashes. The app will not focus on posts with texts but solely photos and videos no longer than one minute. Users will be able to do slides up with up to four pictures. So, Flashes is not a direct replacement of Instagram because it will not have a lot of the bells and whistles that we are used to. But, for those who just want a vibes place for their photos, Flashes could be the place to go.
Flashes is expected to launch in the coming weeks. For now, you can follow the Flashes account on Bluesky for more information.
