Bluesky has added a photo-sharing app named Flashes to its AT Protocol yesterday. This could be good news for users seeking an alternative to Instagram.

Instagram recently announced CapCut video editing rival Edits, and now X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky are both rolling out vertical video feeds. "An immersive new home for videos is rolling out to users in the U.S. today," posted X's official account on Sunday.

Openvibe's clever app that integrates multiple open social networks, including Bluesky, Mastodon, Nostr, and Threads, just got a boost toward its future

X and Bluesky both have new short form video feeds with infinite scroll and ambitions of taking on TikTok, but each one takes a slightly different approach.

Bluesky was created by a Twitter co-founder as a side project, but it's now seen an influx of new users following the U.S. election and inauguration.

Bluesky also gave a shout-out to AT Protocol developers — the decentralized protocol that Bluesky relies on — who are using it to build video-only TikTok alternatives like Tik.Blue, Skylight.Social, and Bluescreen.Blue, which are currently in early development.

X and BlueSky are looking to capitalize on the TikTok fiasco by rolling out their own form of vertical, swipeable video feeds on both apps.

Meta's newer social network Threads announced on Thursday that it's introducing a dedicated "media" tab for both photos and videos, only days after its rivals, including X (formerly Twitter) and the startup Bluesky,

Bluesky also noted that developers are working on alternatives for TikTok using the AT Protocol, or Authenticated Transfer Protocol, the decentralized protocol behind the social media service. These include upcoming apps such as Tik.Blue, Skylight.Social and Bluescreen.Blue.

Bluesky has introduced a short-form video feed, "Trending Videos," to compete with TikTok. The feed allows users to scroll, like, comment, and reshare videos, similar to TikTok and Instagram Reels. The feature is live on the Bluesky app for Android and iOS, and can be found under the Discover section.

Follow Meta's fact-checking changes, Bluesky is creating Flashes, a photo sharing app that could potentially replace Instagram for many.

Bluesky is often compared to X (formerly Twitter) due to its appearance and features. Thus, according to Sebastian Vogelsang, Flashes could attract new users who have not yet joined the platform because they have never considered themselves fans of X.