Changelog

· A new onboarding flow to get you set up faster. · Mentions are here! Tag people directly in your posts and comments. Choose who can tag you in the settings. · New icons in your media grid show what type of post it is: video, carousel, or repost. · Minor fixes and improvements.

• Featured Collections/Starter Kit support
• Localization fixes
• Improved federation support

• Edit button restored after being missing

• Fixed OAuth scope bypass on remove_from_followers endpoint

• Fixed unauthenticated SSRF in remote media/avatar fetch

• Massive Laravel 13 compatibility refactor (742 route references converted to ::class syntax)

• PHP 8.5 support (fixed PDO SSL deprecation warning)

• Added Larastan and Psalm for static analysis

• Fixed follow notifications missing account info

• Fixed first follower/following record excluded from API

• Submitted Build: A new version containing small fixes for iOS 27 was recently submitted to Apple for review.
• Timeline Redesign: The upcoming update merges the Private and Timelines tabs into a unified view similar to the web version.
• Explore by Metadata: A new Explore section is being added to allow browsing photos via metadata.
• Local AI ALT Text: iOS ALT text generation is moving to an on-device model to process everything locally without third-party services.

A community to discuss and share updates about Instagram alternatives.

I will pin a list of alternatives

!instagramAlternatives@programming.dev

Instagram Alternatives Broken Down by Category

Here is a simplified list of true Instagram alternatives (focused strictly on image sharing, feeds, and grids) split across three ecosystems:

ActivityPub (Fediverse) Alternatives

• Pixelfed: The primary open-source alternative to Instagram. It features direct messaging, stories, photo collections, and chronological timelines.
• Vernissage: A native iOS client for a photo-first social network in the Fediverse. It’s designed for a calmer, ad-free, and algorithm-free photography sharing experience.
• Frequency: A private photo and video sharing app built on ActivityPub – no ads, no tracking, and only your approved followers can see your content.
• Bana: A decentralized, private sharing app based on the Dunbar number (limit of 150 close contacts). Only your selected circle can view your posts.
• Forte: An ActivityPub app with granular privacy controls – you can choose exactly who can see and comment on every single post.

AT Protocol Alternatives

• Flashes: A dedicated, photo-first client for the AT Protocol that mimics the classic Instagram layout and feeds directly into the Bluesky ecosystem.
• Grain (grain.social): A clean social publishing app built for chronological photo feeds, galleries, and comments. (The developer has also mentioned plans for private gallery features.)
• Pinksky: An AT Protocol photo client focused strictly on a visual, Instagram-style grid layout.

Centralized Alternatives

• Monnett: A European alternative to Big Tech social media. It’s an image and video sharing app that offers a chronological feed without engagement algorithms.
• Vero: A closed-network social app with no ads or algorithms, heavily focused on high-resolution photography sharing.
• VSCO: A centralized platform built for publishing photography without public comment sections or visible like counts.
• RedNote (Xiaohongshu / 小红书): Often referred to as the “Chinese Instagram,” it’s a lifestyle platform blending photo-sharing, reviews, and e-commerce.
• Lemon8: A lifestyle and content-sharing app from ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company), often described as a mix of Instagram and Pinterest with a focus on aesthetic visuals and niche communities.
• Oasis (绿洲): A lightweight image-sharing social app from Weibo, designed as an Instagram-like photo-based community focused on interests and aesthetics.
• NetEase Bee (网易蜜蜂): A social content app from NetEase targeting younger users, resembling Xiaohongshu in design with a dual-column feed and algorithmic recommendations.
• Duitang (堆糖): A long-running image-sharing community in China, often compared to Pinterest for visual discovery and collection.
• Vvaago: A private photo sharing app for close friends. Share a limited number of photos daily with people you have mutually accepted. No public explore page, no follower counts, and no pressure to perform.
• Yope: A friends-only photo sharing app. It’s designed to be private by design, where only your friends can see your photos. It offers an ad-free, algorithm-free alternative to public social media, centered around sharing within closed groups of close friends and family.