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Pixelfed for Android

1.8.0 · Pixelfed · Page updated

Open source · AGPL-3.0 Android

The official Pixelfed app for Android: sign in to a Pixelfed server, browse your feed and share photos.

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About Pixelfed

Pixelfed for Android is the official mobile app of the Pixelfed photo sharing network, version 1.8.0. Download the APK here or get it from the store, then log in to the Pixelfed server that holds your account. The app is a client: the photos and followers live on your server, and the app is a comfortable way to browse and post from a phone.

Quick facts

  • Version: 1.8.0
  • Package: com.pixelfed
  • Developer: Pixelfed
  • Licence: GNU AGPLv3, open source (the pixelfed-rn repository on GitHub)
  • Price: free, no ads
  • Works with: Pixelfed servers; the web version runs in a browser

Installing the app

The APK offered on this page is the build the developers publish in their GitHub releases. Its signature was checked for continuity with the developer's key on earlier releases, and the file passed a malware scan. The app is also listed on Google Play; builds from different sources can be signed with different keys, so pick one source and stay with it.

  1. Download the APK and open it.
  2. Allow installing apps from that source when Android asks.
  3. Start Pixelfed and enter your server, or sign up on a server first.

Getting an account

If you do not have an account yet, choose a server on the official list at pixelfed.org/servers. Each server has its own admins and rules. Your account is tied to that server, but you can follow people on other Pixelfed servers and they can follow you back; Mastodon users can follow you as well. Signing up on one server does not create accounts anywhere else.

What the app offers

The feed, profile grid, notifications, comments and likes work much as in Instagram, which Pixelfed replaces for many people who want photo sharing without ads, sponsored posts or an engagement-driven feed. You can post photos with captions and alt text, follow hashtags, and switch between your home feed and your server's local feed. Private accounts and follower approval are available. Because it is a smaller network, expect fewer people and less automated discovery than on the big apps; the upside is that nothing is pushed into your feed that you did not follow.

Requirements

An Android phone with an up-to-date system and an internet connection. Upload speed depends on your connection and your server.

Safety and privacy

Photos you post are stored on your server and can be seen by its admins. Before uploading, remove location data from pictures you do not want to reveal, and use a private account if you only want approved followers to see your posts. Grant the app access to photos only, not to the whole storage, when Android offers the choice.

Pros and cons

  • Pro: official client, clean photo-first design, no ads.
  • Pro: open source and free.
  • Con: the app is updated less often than the server software.
  • Con: some server features appear in the web version first.