Bluesky’s Pinksky App Launches on Android with Instagram-Like Features

Pinksky, an alternative app to Bluesky with a design more akin to Instagram than X, has officially launched on Android. The app, which was previously exclusive to iOS, builds upon Bluesky’s social network to offer a visually engaging platform centered around photos.

The app follows in the footsteps of others who aim to attract Instagram users by providing an open-source alternative to Meta’s app with a comparable user interface. A lot of the new players in this market, like Pinksky, are leveraging the existing social network Bluesky to access users’ feeds and connections.

The downside is that this restricts the apps to Bluesky’s own limitations, which include a maximum of four photographs per post and a one-minute video length.

Additionally, the software Pinksky was created by Ramon Souza, a full-stack developer whose main focus has been on web technologies.

Reports suggests that his interest in open technologies, such as Mastodon’s protocol ActivityPub and another open social network Nostr, prompted him to create Pinksky. While the indie developer community is experiencing a surge of innovation, Bluesky is making use of the newer AT Protocol, also known as atproto.

How Pinksky Differs from Instagram

Despite the similarities between Pinksky and Instagram, Souza thinks the two apps will attract distinct users.

“In response to a question, there are several user segments within Instagram: those who watch a lot of reels, those who want to connect with friends, and those who follow content creators,” he says. “I think Pinksky fits into the third segment — focused more on photos and connections rather than viral and repetitive content.”

Key Features and Functionality

In other words, it’s more of the same old Instagram with an emphasis on photo sharing.

Previously, the app was exclusively available for iOS. It has a similar design to Instagram, complete with photo and video profiles, a feed, and a Stories section where posts are viewable for 24 hours. Posts can be liked and commented on by users, and this activity also syncs with Bluesky’s client app.

Since it is based on Bluesky, users’ social networks will be accessible upon initial login (assuming they have an account with Bluesky).

Souza adds that if there is more interest, the app might become more than an experiment. For example, he might think about creating his own instance or integrating it with other technologies like Mastodon, Pixelfed, or Nostr. Currently, he’s paying for Pinksky, so any expansions would probably need some kind of business plan, like charging for extra features.