Are you among the growing number of individuals rethinking your connection with Meta’s Instagram? If you’re in search of a new platform to showcase your photographs, Pixelfed, a free and open-source photo-sharing solution devoid of advertisements and tracking, has officially unveiled its mobile applications for both Android and iPhone.

This launch allows users to upload images and videos directly from their smartphones and coincides with Meta’s recent restrictions on sharing links to the service, which sparked a notable surge of traffic in protest.

Pixelfed is part of the Fediverse, similar to Mastodon, allowing users of both platforms to follow each other. However, this integration may pose some difficulty for newcomers to the Fediverse, as selecting a server is necessary during setup in order to share content and connect with others. The most populated server, pixelfed.social, is currently experiencing delays due to the influx of new registrations, making it advantageous to explore other available servers in the app or consult the server directory.

Recall the Joy of Instagram?

While the notion of decentralization is fascinating and commendable, what resonates most about Pixelfed is its nostalgic return to Instagram’s earlier charm. Once primarily a photo-sharing platform, Instagram has shifted focus over the years. Although photos can still be shared, the application is now saturated with advertisements and recommended videos from both celebrities and unfamiliar users, diminishing its original appeal.

Despite a few recent modifications aimed at restoring some user control, Instagram remains heavily influenced by algorithms. Consequently, when a user shares a photo, there are diminishing chances for friends to view it, resulting in a decline in shared content from those we care about the most. This alteration allows algorithms to fill users’ timelines with random videos, leading one to ponder the reasons behind the continued use of the platform—certainly not for the initial intentions.

In contrast, the Pixelfed app offers a straightforward experience: users can scroll through images posted by accounts they follow, explore trending photos on their server or across the Fediverse, or easily upload their own pictures. These apps aren’t the first of their kind, as prior third-party applications existed for accessing Pixelfed, but the official app now provides a seamless user experience.

Credit: Justin Pot

Notably absent from Pixelfed are advertisements and any form of user tracking. The development team has committed to ensuring these features will never be part of the platform. Developer Daniel Supernault emphasized in a Mastodon post that “Pixelfed is many things, but a chance for venture capitalists to compromise the experience is not one of them,” asserting that he declined VC funding to maintain Pixelfed’s integrity as a user-centric platform.