Pinksky: A New Era in Social Media
It's sort of like Instragram
With the rise of decentralized social media, new applications are emerging to cater to specific user needs. One such innovation is Pinksky, a new photo and video-centric client for the AT Protocol network, which powers Bluesky, the decentralized alternative to Twitter (X). The AT Protocol (Authenticated Transfer Protocol, or atproto) is a standard for public conversation and an open-source framework for building social apps.
Pinksky offers a visual-first experience, much like Instagram, but within the open and decentralized ecosystem of Bluesky. It allows users to share photos, videos, and stories, providing a more immersive and creative social media experience.
A nice feature is that once you sign in, using your Bluesky account(s), you already have followers and you are already following people, all from your Bluesky account(s).
As of yet, you cannot flip from one account to another, you'll have to sign in and out of your various accounts if you do have more than one account.
What is Pinksky?
Pinksky is a client app designed exclusively for users with a Bluesky account. It serves as a bridge between decentralized social networking and a more media-rich environment, making it easier to share visual content on Bluesky’s protocol.
Key Features:
Stories – Temporary posts that disappear after 24 hours.
Photo & Video Posts – Permanent content for long-term curation.
Engagement – Likes, comments, and interactions within the decentralized network.
AT Protocol Integration – Ensures all posts remain a part of the open and federated social web.
Currently, you cannot have your account set to private, as you would with Instagram, so all of your photos will be seen and made public on Pinksky. It mirrors the Bluesky images, so at the moment, it is must mirroring accounts.
Unlike traditional social media apps, which are centralized and controlled by corporations, Pinksky operates within the decentralized ethos of the AT Protocol, giving users more control over their data and online presence.
Users trying it out seem to like the simplicity and cleanness of the app.
Affiliation with Bluesky
Pinksky is not an official Bluesky product, but it is built to work exclusively within the Bluesky ecosystem. Bluesky itself was originally incubated by Twitter and was later spun off as an independent company. Its goal is to decentralize social media using the AT Protocol, allowing users to have more control over their content, algorithms, and data portability.
Pinksky leverages this open-source framework to provide a customized user experience for photo and video sharing. Instead of being an all-purpose social platform like Bluesky, Pinksky focuses on visual storytelling, similar to how Instagram and Snapchat function in the centralized social media world.
How Does Pinksky Work?
To use Pinksky, you need an existing Bluesky account. Once logged in, Pinksky syncs with the AT Protocol, allowing you to:
Post photos and videos directly to your Bluesky feed.
Create stories that expire in 24 hours.
Comment and engage with other users’ content.
Customize your experience within the decentralized framework.
Since Pinksky is a third-party client, it provides an alternative interface to Bluesky’s main app, much like how TweetDeck or alternative Mastodon clients enhance the user experience of existing platforms.
Why Pinksky Matters
Pinksky represents an exciting development in the Bluesky ecosystem, offering users more choices in how they interact with decentralized social media. With its focus on images and videos, it caters to users who prefer a more visual communication style.
As the AT Protocol continues to grow, we can expect more specialized clients like Pinksky to emerge, offering new ways to interact with social networks without relying on big tech monopolies.
For now, Pinksky is available exclusively for iOS users via the App Store, but future updates may expand its reach to other platforms.