# Flashes for Bluesky — user reviews > 152 indexed App Store user reviews of Flashes for Bluesky by Birdsong Apps GmbH, rated 4.49/5 from 339 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flashes-for-bluesky/id6741443033/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flashes-for-bluesky/id6741443033.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 261 · 4★ 25 · 3★ 19 · 2★ 12 · 1★ 17 ## What do users think of Flashes for Bluesky? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🚀 Great alternative to Instagram - 👍 Customizable feeds and profiles - 💡 Separate accounts for text and media - 👍 Responsive developer - 👍 Chronological feed - 👍 Portfolio feature - 👍 Discover and artist spotlights **Cons** - 🐛 Bugs with account creation and profile editing - 🔒 Lack of privacy controls - 🐛 Issues with liking/saving posts - 🐛 Bluesky integration limitations - 🐛 Repost issues from Bluesky **Commonly reported bugs** - Account creation issues - Profile editing bugs - Inability to like posts - Missing content after posting **Most requested features** - Option to control which posts are shown on Flashes - Ability to make account private - Messaging/DM functionality - Improved landscape mode on tablets ## Newest reviews (18 of 152) ### 3/5 — Good when it works *2026-06-10, version 1.9.0* Pity is crashes so much as soon as I want to enter alt text ### 4/5 — Feels like the Future to me *2026-04-04, version 1.8.2* I like Bluesky, but as with any microblogging platform, the discourse can become toxified by wreckers and pessimists and people who only post in ways that suck the energy put of the room. If you’re an artist or you follow a lot of artists, I strongly recommend Flashes. I can only give it 4 stars because it still needs a lot of work and bug fixes (like seeing a quote post without the quoted post and its context), but that’s why I’m leaving this review. Because it’s a great app, a great idea, and I want it to succeed and pick up the resources it needs to continue improving. Thanks! ### 3/5 — Crashes on iOS 26.3.1 *2026-03-15, version 1.8.1* Normally, Flashes works great but I’ve noticed it crashes every time I select the Alt Text button. That’s one of the better features since other photo apps don’t make it so prominent. Please fix for iOS 26.3.1 and beyond! ### 3/5 — Bug with comments *2026-03-12, version 1.8.1* Can close comments after opening without force quitting the app. Otherwise it’s great. ### 2/5 — Crashes on Signup *2026-03-04, version 1.8.1* Just downloaded this and it crashes while trying to sign up. iPad A16 running latest iOS. Plz fix. ### 2/5 — Crashes so much and fails to post or save photos many times *2026-01-27, version 1.8.1* January 2026 Full of porn doesn’t matter if you report it or report the account. Bluesky still promotes porn. June 2025 still Crashes so much and fails to post or save photos many times. Also the content moderation is lacking. It’s all twitter and tik tok screenshots some days. ### 4/5 — Like IG when it was good. *2025-12-22, version 1.7.0* This is my preferred way of using Bluesky. A couple of issues that I’ve noticed, though: • The only way to refresh the feed is to force close the app then relaunch. Pulling down to refresh doesn’t do anything. • Some reposts/quote posts still show in the feed even when they are turned off in the feed settings. ### 4/5 — Great app *2025-11-28, version 1.7.0* Great app with a lot of potential. ### 4/5 — Great picture posting, except for *2025-11-26, version 1.7.0* apparently you can’t post photo threads, only reply to your images with text, not images. This is a pain if you want to post a picture a day to tell a story. Also, you can’t copy and paste your alt text, which makes it time-consuming to delete and repost if you’ve made a mistake, as I often do. I love a lot about this app, it’s certainly the best way to look at images on Bluesky on iPad, and, provided you don’t want to do threads or copy paste, the best way to post them too. ### 3/5 — Personalization *2025-11-19, version 1.7.0* The icon is simply awful; flashes should resemble camera lights, which would hardly attract the attention of Instagram users! The option to like and show following or followers could have a private option; there should be more profile customization, like changing the background color, customizing the story ring—imagine creating rings with different colors and textures? That would attract the new generation interested in privacy and personalization! CREATE AN ART APP! ### 4/5 — Needs profile switching! *2025-11-05, version 1.6.0* almost perfect ### 3/5 — UI issues *2025-10-02, version 1.5.1* Still glitchy when you check notifications. If you scroll to a reply on your post it flips out and causes you to lose your place ### 4/5 — So far, so good *2025-08-10, version 1.4.0* Great app, nice community for the most part. Love not being bombarded with ads! Easy to block the icky people who want to show me their undies — and more. Some requests: * Ability to edit posts * Ability to copy and paste text after submission. If I can’t edit, I hate having to delete and retype the post. * Is there a way to add a photo or meme to a post? If there is, I haven’t found it but have seen other users comment with a photo or graphic. Keep up the good work! ### 2/5 — Photos unreachable *2025-08-09, version 1.4.0* Oh iPad I cannot navigate photos at all. Just the first photo in my camera roll is available. ### 3/5 — Update ruined it *2025-07-31, version 1.3.1* The latest update to the layout isn’t as good has the original, it was simple, but now its a little complicated and does not look as appealing ### 4/5 — Great *2025-07-19, version 1.2.2* Easily the best Bluesky client, it doesn’t everything that I would want in the app but it’s still great. I dunno if they adjust the algorithm or what but I find content I actually want to engage with ### 3/5 — Crashes so much and fails to post or save photos many times *2025-06-19, version 1.2.0* June 2025 still Crashes so much and fails to post or save photos many times. Also the content moderation is lacking. It’s all twitter and tik tok screenshots some days. ### 2/5 — So sad!! *2025-05-31, version 1.2.0* I so badly want to use this app. I’m try it for a second time but it’s pretty much pointless. Why can’t we connect our contacts?? What’s the point of using it if I can’t find people I know. It not enjoyable otherwise. And the lack of being able to remove followers is awful. I don’t want p0rn bots following me. I want to remove them from my list. I guess I’ll delete my account again and wait until it’s usable. I really hate Meta and have been waiting for something like Flashes. So I’m incredibly disappointed. For the record I only use flashes and not bluesky because I hate bluesky and twitter style apps. Smh ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Insecure *2026-08-01, version 1.9.1* Please implement oauth. Do not ask users to enter their password for bluesky into your app. ### 1/5 — Porn posts and accounts are promoted by Bluesky *2026-04-09, version 1.8.2* APRIL 2026 I contacted Bluesky with evidence 8 times and ultimately after no response and ignoring me they say it is MY FAULT that I need to go and block accounts that post child porn on their GLOBAL FEED. It is MY FAULT and not their problem that I don’t like their Child Porn accounts. MARCH 2026 Full of porn. Literal pornstars. Exposed vaginas. Full nudity. It doesn’t matter if you report it 100 times or report the account 100 times. Bluesky still promotes porn and porn accounts on the front page. Nothing. Is done. ### 1/5 — Porn posts and accounts are promoted by Bluesky *2026-03-07, version 1.8.1* MARCH 2026 Full of porn. Literal pornstars. Exposed vaginas. Full nudity. It doesn’t matter if you report it 100 times or report the account 100 times. Bluesky still promotes porn and porn accounts on the front page. Nothing. Is done. ### 1/5 — Freezes frequently *2026-01-10, version 1.8.0* Every time I open a post to comment, the app locks up. It’s completely unusable. ### 1/5 — Explicit image on login screen *2025-11-08, version 1.6.0* I went to log in and the sample image they had there was some guy showing off his junk. How did this app pass review? ### 1/5 — Transphobic *2025-08-21, version 1.4.0* Bluesky is no different from X or Meta! I have removed Flashes and Skylight Social and I will be limiting my time on Bluesky! Take your transphobia back to X Bluesky! ### 1/5 — Demands you update it constantly *2025-08-15, version 1.4.0* any time there's an update the app will interrupt your browsing to keep posting an alert over and over and over telling you you must update as soon as possible. You would think it's a banking app the way they are so paranoid about trying to force updates. It's just a stupid update! I will update when I'm ready! Stop constantly telling me I need to update. I went from loving this app to absolutely hating it because it keeps getting in the way instead of helping. I'm going back to bluesky and never thinking about this app again for the rest of my life, and I'm going to be so happy that I've made that decision. ### 1/5 — No private accounts. *2025-06-03, version 1.2.0* A lot of us want out from Meta and Twitter. And a lot of us want full control over who we share with. The lack of private accounts was disappointing and made migrating to the platform useless. ### 1/5 — Poor quality *2025-04-14, version 1.1.0* Make it fit the screen on iPad if you want us to take you seriously. Ridiculous and lazy. ### 1/5 — Disappointed *2025-04-13, version 1.1.0* Signed up but got flagged as a spam account for some reason. Appealed but never heard back. My 1 post has 0 views and 0 interactions. Guess I’ll jump back on Instagram for now ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Loving it, just one thing missing *2025-10-16, version 1.5.1* Wish it would keep track of what posts I’ve already seen and autohide them. That one addition would get this back to the glory days of instagram. ### 5/5 — Meta Escape. *2025-08-13, version 1.4.0* Easy to use, great vibe. Flashes is the perfect Meta alternative. I get the socials I enjoy without far right sided content constantly appearing on my for you page. I've moved my teens to Flashes. Looking forward to music licenses. This gives me the joy and excitement and peace I used to get from pre 2024 socials. ### 5/5 — App Crashed since I updated. *2025-07-23, version 1.3.1* The app crashed when I entered the app after II update. ### 5/5 — thank you *2025-07-22, version 1.2.2* it’s so good ### 5/5 — Um…. *2025-05-09, version 1.2.0* Yes yes yes yes yes!!!!!!!! Very happy with this app. ### 5/5 — Best IG Replacement *2025-04-24, version 1.1.0* Been using this app since it was in tests. Best replacement for IG. I ditched all Meta apps and so far this one doesn’t disappoint! ### 5/5 — Finally, the alternative to Instagram *2025-04-23, version 1.1.0* This is basically the alternative to Instagram now it’s Maga free ### 5/5 — Pictures only *2025-04-16, version 1.1.0* Please add under Flashes in the drop down menu under Global…Trending Add Following. Only who I follow on Flashes. The pictures get all lost in Bluesky posts. I don’t want to see politics. Pictures only! Please and thank you. ### 5/5 — Love it! *2025-04-09, version 1.1.0* I love this app! I’ve been hoping someone would make an app that was like old Instagram for ages, and someone finally did! I have full control over what accounts I see, my feed is in chronological order, and I don’t get sucked into hours of stupid videos that waste my time. ### 5/5 — Just what I was looking for *2025-04-01, version 1.1.0* For those of us who use Bluesky mostly for photography, this is the app! Feature request: I’d like to be able to open a list of who liked my post, and see at a glance whether they already follow me, like the view you can get of people who have recently followed. (I figured out how to do that now - go to the post and click on likes; would be nice to be able to get there from notifications is all 😀) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-25.*